The Emperor and the Dark Mage
by Isolated Wanderer
Summary: The prospect of the Demon Emperor stumbling into a meeting with the Dark Mage is as unlikely as it is terrifying. They are cursed in their respective worlds, shunned for the power they possesses and feared for what they are capable of. Both have a journey of their own, but one has completed his, and the other awaits his finale. This convergence shall alter the fate of Earth Land.
1. Prologue

**X677**

Lelouch vi Britannia, the 99th Emperor of Britannia, stared blearily up at the blue shade of the sky and drifting white of the clouds. Desperate cries of Nunnally echoing in his ears as a droplet dripped from his eyes.

He wondered if Hell really was so pleasant, or his eyes weren't working properly.

He lay flat on - wherever he might be and tried to slow his racing heart. As he closed his eyes, images began to flash again. He saw Zero's mask peering into him. He saw the cold steel embedded in his body, and the horror that etched on Nunnally's face.

The emotions that he was trying to suppress began to burst out, he could feel the tears forming on the edge of his eyes again. His body shook ever so slightly, and the vibrant green grass started to prick at his skin.

He felt alive.

No, he is supposed to be dead. All that he has worked so hard for, all that he has built, were to lead to that moment, his death.

Lelouch forced himself up, despite every part of his frail body screaming at him to lay down. Then, it was as if someone just drove a dagger through his eyes, the pain sent him stumbling back into the trunk of a tree. His vision was beginning to blur, as the heat in his eyes rose he couldn't help himself and screamed.

As he wrestles against the pain, his sense of direction was stripped from him. In his pained struggle, he lost his footing and found himself falling down the smooth slope, crashing violently to the ground. Minutes - or was it hours? He couldn't tell, passed by while he lay there helplessly all while conscious.

After those antagonizing moments, the pain faded into a numb, and again he forced himself to move. _'I cannot risk anyone laying their eyes on the Demon Emperor, a very alive one at that.'_ He reminded himself.

Clutching his pained eyes, he dragged himself onwards, the surroundings completely lost to him. Yet, as luck would have it, he found himself stumbled on to a river bank as the exhaustion forced his leg down. With great difficulties, he managed to crawl toward the water, and a frown settled on his delicate face.

Dried blood. His eyes were bleeding, and yet, the Geass entrenched in his left eye shone with such unnatural brightness. As if it was thriving in the environment it found itself in, despite his frail and weakening body.

In numbed silence, he heard sounds of rushed footsteps approaching from afar. Eyes widening, he threw himself into the nearby bush and slowed his breathing down.

"Again..." He heard someone sobbed.

A young man with black hair as dark as the midnight sky kneeled next to the water, wearing a high-collared black robe and a white toga draped around his body. His pale face etched with sadness and grief, tears prickling from the corner of his eyelids.

Lelouch found himself staring at the withering grass around the stranger, his blank countenance replaced by a shocked expression as he looked on and find death coming for every living entity near the proximity of the man. He ruthlessly removed the bubbling excitement within him and forced himself to continue to watch. Soon after, his expectations were met flawlessly, the aura of death continues to follow the young man. It robbed life from the withering grasses, and the fishes that ventured too close.

"W-who's there!?" The young man turned around with narrowed eyes.

Letting his unrestrained smile settling on to his face, Lelouch showed himself and approached the young man. Any attempt to keep himself hidden are meaningless, given how easily his location was pinpointed.

"Pardon me." He apologised sincerely, "I did not mean to pry."

"Keep away from me!" The young man warned, backing off from him. "You'll die..."

"Precisely what I seek. I do not wish to trouble you, but I would be very grateful if you could grant me my death." With a pained smile, he glanced at the spot where Suzaku drove a blade through him. "It doesn't seem like conventional weapons could kill me, and I find myself struggling to find a suitable tool to do so."

"W-what?" The young man asked bafflingly, "Why would you want to- "

"For the good of those I hold dear, and the good of many, I must die." Lelouch explained curtly, striding toward the young man before he could process the explanation.

To his disappointment, and the young man's surprise, the aura of death did nothing that they both expected. The darkness in the air treated him as if he does not exist, passing through him and viciously consume an unfortunate tree behind him instead.

Lelouch sighed, taking no heed to the incredulous stare he received and let his exhausted body collapsed down onto the ground.

"You were unharmed..." Came the disbelieving mutter.

"So it seems."

Silence reigned as they both pensively gazed at each other. One looking down with unconcealed interest, something akin to hope sparked in the black orbs, it seemed almost desperate. Whilst the other glanced up tiredly, his mind far too occupied to wonder about the feat he just - still is witnessing.

"May I know your name?" Lelouch asked at last.

The young man winced, then opened his mouth to speak, yet no word came out until he visibly forced himself. The uttered word seemingly left a foul taste in his mouth. "...Zeref."

"A pleasure." He offered his hand with a blank smile, "Lelouch vi Britannia."

Another moment of silent contemplation passed yet again, until he voiced out the conclusion they both came to.

"You were expecting me to recognize the name."

"I did, and so were you." Zeref admitted with a smile. "You do not care."

"Perhaps with a title then?" He offered, "Lelouch vi Britannia, the 99th Emperor of the Holy Britannian Empire."

"Zeref, the darkest and most evil Mage in the history of this world."

" _This_ world…?" Cupping his chin thoughtfully, he searched for any traces of lie, yet he found none. "Don't you know of the Holy Britannian Empire?"

Zeref frowned, then shook his head.

"Europia United? The federal monarchy of Empress Tianzi?"

The answer remained the same, and he was rooted on the ground in shock.

"I-I see…" He whispered, voice trembling. "Please, enlighten me, where am I?"

"Earth Land," Zeref replied with a concerned frown, "Specifically, just inside the border of the Kingdom of Fiore. Although, you wouldn't know, would you?"

"I wouldn't." Lelouch replied evenly. The place doesn't ring a bell with him, and worse of all, Zeref doesn't seems to be lying, neither was the aura of death. He'd witnessed enough unnatural feats to know that they are a possibility, but god forbid if the answer is _magic_. He scoffed inwardly. Pointing to the withering grass, he shot another question at Zeref, "How did you managed to do that?"

"Magic."

"Show me."

Zeref nodded, bringing his hand up to his face, an unmoving butterfly lay still on the tip of his finger as he breathed into it. To his amazement, the little insect began to stir, but was ruthlessly vanquished by a wave of darkness before it could take to the sky. Zeref gazed sadly at the insect, a grief-stricken smile on his face. "You are not from this world."

"I am not." Lelouch nodded, eyes lingering on the dead form of the butterfly, "Nevertheless, I find myself wondering why you have failed to kill me."

"Because you are not from this world, dimension or universe. The only parallel universe of this world is Edolas, but you couldn't possibly come from there, as they are subjected to my power nonetheless." Zeref explained, a tint of excitement in his voice.

"And how would that factor in my immunity to your… power?"

"Magic is the physical embodiment of the spirit of all living entity. When the physical spirit connects with the spiritual flow of the nature around us, Magic will be created." Zeref continued with a ghost of a smile, "Your spirit, or soul, is not a creation of this universe, and therefore is not subjected to the spiritual flow, or even the passage of time. Even your body is a foreign entity to this universe. You cannot die or age... just like me."

The last part came out as no more than a whisper, but Lelouch heard it regardless.

"I'm glad." He smiled peacefully, letting his tense body relax, prompting a narrowed eye from the dark mage.

" _Glad?_ " Zeref inhaled with an angry noise. "How could you be glad, doomed to this despicable fate!? Forever cursed-"

"Not that." He chuckled, waving his hand dismissively. "My presence is unwanted and a danger to the world which I hails from, and to those who I hold dear. I can rest knowing that I have been removed from it, far away where the only thing left of me is mere memories."

Zeref came to an abrupt halt, eyeing him with a look full of sympathy and understanding.

"Tell me, does your magic have consciousness?" He inquired with a tilt of his head, "The ability to recognize command and order?"

"Magic is a part of us, yes." Zeref confirmed, "It is affected by emotions, which could enhance or lessen the power of it. It is everchanging, a command to one part would not matter to another."

He shifted his left eye to the mage, the Geass symbol shining in a brilliant macabre crimson as he uttered a word. "Begone."

The wave of darkness surrounding Zeref screeched, tearing through the air like a great shard of glass, and dissipate into the air. The dark mage eyes widened, mouth opening and closing as he stared with unblinking eyes.

"I would advise reining it in at this opportune moment." Lelouch smiled, lips humming Pachelbel's Canon, "As you said, the command would not last for long, soon it will be replaced by another."

His advice pulled the mage out of the shock, and was followed by a bright, genuine smile. The thick energy in the air could be felt as Zeref retracts what's left of the remnant of the wave of power.

He was certain that Zeref hasn't been smiling for so long that he had difficulties trying to express his gratitude and happiness. Then again, with that kind of uncontrolled aura he could only imagine the devastation it could've caused. With ignorance and fear of the unknown from the mass, it is only a matter of time before Zeref is dubbed as _monster, evil, dark_ and the sort.

He did introduce himself as _the_ darkest and most evil Mage, the titles were already bestowed upon him.

"Thank you…" It came out as no more than a quite whisper, the Mage's voice was breaking, "…I-"

"Zeref-san, would you mind terribly if I accompany you?" He dismissed the struggled expression of gratitude with a question.

"A-aren't you afraid of me?" The Mage sputtered, visibly taken back. "I claimed countless lives with my power, committed unforgivable sins and a danger to every innocent entity in the world. Even the grass which I stepped upon-"

"I am not subjected to it aren't I?" Lelouch asked absently, "I could even assist you in reining it in should you lose grip of it with my… power."

Lelouch couldn't bring himself to use the word _Magic_ , it sounded horribly wrong if it ever managed to come out in the form of his aristocrat voice.

"Besides, I can neither die nor age, it would be terribly taxing and daunting to do it alone. I may lose my sanity if it were to be left unchecked. And this world shouldn't suffer the Demon that is Lelouch vi Britannia." Lelouch let the visage of the Demon Emperor slipped for but a moment, yet it was enough to send Zeref a step back into a guarded stance instinctively. "I wonder how long it has been since your torment began…"

"Above four centuries." Zeref smiled sadly, "I would appreciate a companion."

He scoffed inwardly at the understatement, how ragged and miserable the Mage look surprised him, the bags under his eyes alone indicate countless nights of restless sleep, and the tear on his eyelids were yet to dry.

"But I am not so naïve that I would believe you will do it out of pity."

"Indeed." Lelouch nodded, turning fully to Zeref, "My eyes."

Zeref eyes moved to the violet and crimson orb, taking a step back from the eerie crimson and the fresh blood. "Ah…"

"It is the source of my power." Lelouch said, "I felt something latching on that I could not see moments ago."

"A-allow me." Zeref approached him slowly, kneeling next to him with a frown. Lelouch could see his hand glowing green as it come closing in on his eyes. Zeref eyes widened yet again, peering into the symbol with studious interest.

"It seems that-" The Mage began, stopped for a moment as the green glow dimmed, then continue, "-your physical spirit was deprived of the original elements from where you came from that sustained it. It forced itself into the spiritual flow of nature in this world, yet… it is not subjected to spiritual flow of nature."

"It was rejected then?"

"No." Zeref shook his head, "Nature cannot deny any soul from accessing it, but she cannot access what is not subjected to her. You do not belong in the circle of life in this universe. You may draw energy from her, but she could not do the same to you."

"I'm afraid you have me at a loss." Lelouch frowned, "I understand that it is necessary for my power to sustain itself by forcing its way in to the flow of nature, but, why would nature's access to my spirit important?"

"Stability. Magic are born from the joining of the spirit and nature, if you deny nature a way into your spirit, your magic would be volatile, as it is not subjected to any limitations by severing the nature's half of the two-way connection. It would be too powerful for one to control."

Lelouch smirked, wearing an expression that indicate he knew something others do not. "I fail to see the problem at hand."

Zeref was about to reply, until his eyes passed over the shade of crimson in Lelouch's orb. The memory of the screeching curse of Ankhseram bowing to the strange power fresh in his mind.

"I see." Zeref muttered.

"Do you?" Lelouch smiled, "With that being said, you wouldn't mind teaching me… magic, would you?"

Zeref gave him a cautious gaze, "My magic is dark and evil, I do not think it is wise to dabble in it."

Lelouch returned the gaze with a blank stare, face devoid of emotion as he propped himself up. "Watch." He said.

Pulling out the silenced pistol from the blood-stained robe of his, the robe he is still wearing from that damnable ceremony when Suzaku's blade impaled him. He took a quick aim at one of the two wolves from the opposite bank of the river and pulled the trigger. The shot hit just as intended, bringing one of the predators down with a heavy thud.

"What did I just do?" He questioned.

"You killed." Zeref answered with a scowl.

Lelouch nodded, turning the pistol to another and pulled the trigger. "What did I just do?" He asked again.

"You kil…" The Mage trailed off as he set his sight on a whimpering fox kit. "…you saved it."

"No, I killed." Lelouch cut off the impending question, "What is the difference?"

Zeref tilt his head in confusion, but realisation dawned upon him soon enough, "Intent."

"Yes." He nodded, gesturing at the pistol, "This is a weapon, a tool to kill, nothing more. I used it to kill one with nothing in mind, that, is immoral. Then I killed another, and this time I meant to protect. There are no evil nor goodness in power, power is power. It is the intent that separates the two."

The Mage stared at him with no visible emotion, yet it was as if something heavy was removed from his shoulder. A ghost of a smile on his face. "I will teach you to control and use magic, Lelouch."

"By the gods, it sounded horribly childish when you put it that way." He remarked with a smile.

"Perhaps you should learn my language then."

"Your language?" Lelouch inquired with a raised brow, "We're conversing with each other are we not?"

"Magic." Zeref grinned, "I used it to translate what you were speaking, and my own tongue to yours, a rare ability many other do not have."

Sighing, he turned to the blood-stained robe with a frown, "You wouldn't happen to know a spell to cleanse clothing, would you?"

"…I don't."

"Something to summon a cup of tea then?"

Zeref looked away, "…I don't."

"We both have a lot to learn then."


	2. Chapter 1

**X677**

"Ghastly."

"Quite."

Lelouch spared his companion a glance, spotting the familiar pained smile that Zeref has always been wearing, and he knew.

"Where are we?" He asked.

"Mildian, an ancient city. It lies in Alakitasia, the western continent of Earth Land. The Kingdom of Fiore where we met yesterday, lies in the eastern continent of Ishgar..." Zeref answered, his brows turned down with grief. "…the first victim of my power."

He did not comment on the information given to him, turning to scan the surrounding city instead.

Ruin.

That single word ought to sum up everything, not a single building within his sight managed to survive the destruction. The uneven ground which he stood upon is consisted of broken marble blocks, such debris could be found in every direction.

"Let's go." Zeref muttered quietly.

He nodded, making his way through the wreckage of a city behind the Dark Mage.

"The sun is taking its time rising."

"Those who once lived here worshipped the God of Time, Chronos." Came the answer to his unspoken question, "They were blessed with longer days, the city experiences the passage of time differently from the rest of the world."

Lelouch tugged at his long white cloak absently, eyeing the classical architecture that bears an uncanny resemblance to the Greek and Roman from his world curiously. "You hold a particular attachment to the place."

It wasn't a question.

"Yes." Zeref admitted, a hint of shock in his voice. "How did you know?"

"An educated guess." He replied, gesturing to the carving on a broken wall, "Your toga, and _'the first victim of my power.'_ part"

The wizard chuckled at his, no doubt, flawless imitation of the broody voice, "You are quite perceptive, I will take that into account in the future."

"Now, now, don't dodge the topic." Lelouch brushed the flattery away, a tactic he is all too familiar with, "I won't pry if that is your wish, but I wouldn't ask you to divulge for nothing."

Zeref stopped in a split moment of silent contemplation, before continuing to navigate the rubbles with a pained smile, "I was a student in the Mildian Magic Academy."

The wizard gave the cloudless sky a look full of nostalgia, "How innocent I was, staring with sparkling eyes at the flames that burst forth from nothing and the water swirled about the air at the command of my superior. Magic was full of wonder and excitement to me then, to an orphan whose family was murdered by Dragons."

The violet orb aged as Lelouch couldn't help but recall his crippled sister, the tiny dangling pair of leg that she could not use, and the darkness that she grew up with.

"I was very driven, perhaps even obsessed with pursuing knowledge and power." His small smile faded, "All to understand the secret of life and death, to bring back my little brother."

"They feared you." He concluded.

"It was only a matter of time before I was expelled." Zeref confirmed, face darkening. "I was willing to leave and continue in my pursuit elsewhere. Until mockery and doubt were casted upon me, as to whether I can succeed in bringing him back. I lost myself to childish anger."

Staying silent, he gestured for Zeref to continue.

Shaking his head, Zeref complied, "At that moment, the God of Life and Death Ankhseram cursed me, and so began the legend of the Dark Mage. I'm sure the rest of my life can be found in a book somewhere in every library."

"I happen to find Deities to be quite irrational." Lelouch smirked, his Geass gave a glimpse of crimson, "They granted us, the ambitious one, power and means to reach for our goal, then try to stop us by depriving those who oppose us of the tools to do so."

"Your turn then." Zeref pace came to a halt, stopping in front of the only standing building among the debris, no doubt the Magic Academy he has mentioned moment ago. The building itself suffered a fair bit of damage, its appearance shifted his mind to the image of the Parthenon.

"I want to hear about your world." Zeref said.

He smiled at the tint of excitement in the wizard's voice. "It will take some time getting through with it all, and it won't fully cover everything."

"I insist." The mage smiled, "I did not reveal every secret of mine either."

"Lelouch vi Britannia was the 11th Prince of Britannia. The empire that is one of the three superpowers that ruled the Earth." He began, leaning against one of the two shattered statues in front of the building, prompting the mage to do the same. "There are five continents in the world, Europe, Asia, Africa, North America and South America."

Lelouch grabbed a branch of wood from the ground, drawing the world map on the sandy surface as he speaks, "It was an age of Enlightenment, of innovation and new inventions. The world is changing, the ideals and belief of peoples living in it. Monarchies, Kings and Queens are being overthrown, in favour of Democracy and Constitutional Monarchy, where the populace from have the right to vote and elect their leaders."

"How fascinating." Zeref muttered, the ideas completely foreign to him.

"The revolution began in France." Lelouch began drawing out the European countries, "The Monarchy was overthrown, the country was thrust into a state of almost anarchy and chaos, until one step up to seize the power, Napoleon Bonaparte. He was a brilliant general, he has no equal, but his enemies are many."

"Some will resist the tide of changes, it is a part of human nature." The mage whispered.

"With the endless cries of liberty and revolution, to the Europe that cling to the old ideals, France basically just hit its head."

Zeref chuckled in amusement, motioning for him to continue.

"Great Britain welcome the downfall of the French monarchy, their hereditary rival." Lelouch pointed to the British Isles, briefly mentioning its oversea colonies, colonialism, and explained why Britain was called _Great_ , "But the revolution filled with insatiable bloodshed of nobles was a terror, the brutality which the French execute their nobility with. They feared, that the revolution may spread across the English Channel, with or without the French weapons to help it along. They decided to wage a pre-emptive war against the revolution, France was at war with the whole of Europe. They won for the most part."

His companion's face was filled to the brim with curiosity but restrained himself from asking any question.

"The aristocracy was forced to flee to North America, where the Queen died childless, leaving the throne to the Duke of Britannia, my ancestor. Yet, in the end she dragged Napoleon down with her, her agent poisoned him as he returns to France from his eventual defeat." Lelouch moved back to Europe, "Whilst Napoleon and his imperial ambition may be gone, Europe are now instilled with the Revolution's ideals, and arose the Europia United that span across the continent, one of the three superpowers."

"What of Great Britain?"

"Humiliated, bitter, vengeful." Lelouch face grew bitter, "They embraced the idea that conflict promoted growth, those conquered and subjugated other were justified by such philosophy. It is the ultimate justification for their campaign of conquest, subjugation and eventually, vengeance. They clawed back from the brink of destruction, turning themselves into a world power, having conquered both Americas."

Lelouch eyes narrowed, as the bitter history drove him to a cool anger, "My heartless mother, blinded by her devotion to my father, deliberately let herself killed and left us. I was exiled, along with my crippled sister by my father, blinded and unable to walk, to a neutral country to act as a bargaining chip."

Zeref's black orbs turned red, his vindictive nature and loathing for human's evil and idiocy surfaced. His calm and sincere nature vanished over the second.

"Not long after, he gave the order to attack the very same country, whilst we were still their hostage." Sighing, Lelouch suppressed his anger and turn to the silent wizard with a blank smile, "Do you happen to have some water?"

Zeref pulled out a wine bladder, and tossed it at Lelouch, forcing his anger down, lest his power go out of control again.

"Thank you." Lelouch caught it effortlessly, taking a small sip, "We survived in the chaos, and received help from a noble family close to my mother, I was not aware of my mother's intent at that time, so I accepted it without much thoughts. Nunnally and I attended their academy and were granted free residence within the campus. I befriended the heiress of that noble family, Milly Ashford. We maintained our anonymity for a long while, living in relative peace of a dystopian society. Until one fateful day, an immortal witch appeared and granted me the power to topple empires, and so began the destruction of empires and the rise of the Demon Emperor."

"You would stop now?" Zeref asked, his disappointment could be visibly seen. "The story was about to start."

"I will continue when your four hundred years of adventure is known to me." Lelouch said, setting his eyes on the temple.

"I suppose that is fair." Zeref let a small smile settled into his face, gesturing to the building, "That is the Mildian Magic Academy, a forgotten fountain of knowledge, where you will be learning magic."

They turned to the building, strode up the white marble stair, weaving themselves through the remains of the once great entrance. Large marble pillars in front of the massive door were carved with depictions full of images and numbers, one end lead to another, left to right. A chronology, Lelouch told himself, images of humanity and their rise, since the fire first sparked to the bronze age and magic were discovered. With but a glance one could see the history unfold in front of their eyes. The carvings were moving.

It was mildly interesting.

"One of the wonder of magic, to animate and preserve a piece of art for eternity for the sake of the next generation." Zeref commented, his lingering eyes did not go unnoticed. "The technology was lost as this nation grew decadent. It is a shame, most survived the destruction I caused, but decayed as all things do."

"I might pay it another visit, but not now."

The wizard gave a curt nod, then stepped in front of the door, marbled with lichen and moss. His hand glowed with a faint grey, and the block of stone let out a deep rumble, before edging open to let them through. The inside is nothing like the outward appearance of the building. The Entrance Hall was big enough to fit in a two-storey house, ceiling stretched too high to make out, yet somehow, sunlight managed to slip its way in, the space within was at least thrice as big as the very same building he just saw outside.

"Those who built the Academy were very well versed in Time and Space magic, worthy of praise from the God of Time who they worshipped. They manipulated and expanded the space within the building, the walls were enchanted with enough protective runes to withstand Ankhseram's Black Magic. This is their legacy." Zeref gave him the answer to the question in mind.

The Dark Mage must be _almost_ as good as him at reading people, or the mage could read his mind.

Lelouch followed Zeref across the flagged stone floor, giving the corridors from the two side of the great hallway brief glances as he passed by. The corridors were marked with sign of elements one would find in a fantasy fiction, water, fire, earth, lightning, and wind. Then there is the magnificent marble stair case that leads to the second floor.

As they scale the stairs, he could make out another two corridors, one in the left with a white circle, one in the right with a shaded one.

Light and darkness, he reckons.

Facing them is another pair of wooden door, and Zeref stopped just in front of it, whipping around to him.

"That way leads to another corridor, to the left you will find a single entrance to the library, it is a fountain of knowledge that lacks only the most obscure part in a branch of an element, such as ice, which you can find in the section dedicated to the water element." Zeref said, and pulled the door wide open, "To the right is the residence, help yourself to whichever room you want."

"There ought to be an area reserved for practical application of magic." Lelouch opened the door stood ajar to his right, taking note of the spacious space, furnished bed, a wooden chair and table. A bare minimum provided to him, he would customise it to suit his need later. The large window in front of the table from which he could peered out to the ruins, is the most fascinating of all, connecting the expanded dimension to the outside world despite the twisted dimension.

"There is." Zeref gestured down to the stair they just scaled, "Under the stair is a door that lead to a large clearing and the forest behind the city."

"I almost envy you." Lelouch smiled, taking in a breeze of cool air.

"This was my first refuge, where I would seclude myself in my pursuit of knowledge, and to prevent myself from taking more innocent lives." The mage donned a grave smile as he speaks, "I tried my best to past the time, keeping it in pristine condition, but it is only a matter of time before I crave the fresh air. Humans are such fragile creature, and our social nature make it even more so."

"I'm surprised that the city still remains undetected for so long."

"Alakitasia is sparsely populated, unlike their eastern counterpart. Those who live in Ishgar know not of this continent's existence due to the large ocean that separates the two. Furthermore, the city itself is inaccessible to those who have yet to set foot in it, hidden by the God of Time."

"The perfect safe haven…" He motioned to the stair, "Shall we begin our first lesson then?"

With a nod, the wizard led them through the mentioned door, into the lush forest, thrumming with life and chirping birds. They stood in front of the tightly knit trees and stared into the deep darkness ahead for but a moment, before moving toward the sound of a weeping waterfall. They came upon a large clearing, and next to it, the point which multiple small streams join with each other to form a river.

The flowing water was so clear one could see the smoothness of the rock underneath. The riverbank was lined with pods of wild peas, lush green grass and a willow tree, its leaves curved down to graze the gentle water so ever lightly.

"Now," Zeref moved toward the clearing, "I'm sure you remember the nature of magic when I spoke of it yesterday?"

"Joining of a physical spirit to the greater flow of nature?"

"Only one out of ten people in the world is able to use magic, it requires mental fortitude and concentration." Zeref frowned, eyeing him intently, "Yet, you are… different. Could you make an attempt to draw upon the magic around you? Think of it as taking something inside your body as one would out of a pocket, then draw upon the power of your surroundings and joining them together."

Lelouch nodded, then closed his eyes, cleared his mind and let his imagination do the execution of the task that Zeref just described. A tingling sensation swirled about in his body, originated from his left eye, he could feel it making its way down toward his finger. His mind subconsciously began to construct his surroundings in the darkness with what image it retained before he closed his eyes. He could feel it all so clearly, the wild grasses that grazed his robe, the breeze in the wind, where the water flows, and Zeref's calm breath. The moment the sensation left his fingers, it was as though a black hole was opened, sucking in the air around him.

He snapped his eyes open, spotting a colourless, yet dense orb of – well, he isn't entirely sure what the thing was made up, but he could feel its cool surface, see its circular shape. It looked like a ball made of glass.

"Fascinating…" Zeref muttered with excitement, "…every individual has their own affinity to a particular element, such as water or fire, yet you managed to draw upon the purest form of energy that made up magic. Our affinities were with us the moment we are born, so that we may tap into the unending flow of nature, to control and coexist with it without killing ourselves."

"Affinity?" Lelouch asked icily, "Magic is a tool is it not, for me to shape and bend it to my will. Why would I want a tool that contradict my wish?"

The violet orbs were replaced with crimson, his domineering Geass glowed eerily as he eyed the orb on his hand.

Zeref was taken back by the coldness and demanding tone, and the dripping arrogance. Then, his eyes widened as the orb started shifting colours and shape. A red flame burst forth from the red orb, before it was extinguished by a swirling torrent of water as the orb turned blue, then it was yellow, and electricity sparkled in the stream of liquid on the air. He thought that was the end, and settled with three elements, until the wind roared and split the torrent apart, turning the orb into a grey storm. The grey gradually brightened to a white, beaming with blinding light, until a flash of black swallowed it all, blotting out the light and vanished to nothingness at the wave of Lelouch's hand.

' _At least he has no power over mother nature's earth.'_ Zeref thought.

At least.

"As I thought." Lelouch smirked in satisfaction as the magic in the air whimpered at his presence.

Magic consist of spirits, countless of living entity that all made up a spirit, yet these entities are unique, each have their own consciousness, and they all bowed to his Geass. He merely need to shape and bend them to what he wishes in his mind, his one-time limit of his Geass is irrelevant as he continues to draw upon the power from the flow of nature, constantly replacing the entity he controlled with new one. He would be able to rein in Ankhseram's curse repeatedly should Zeref lose control over it, as each time they reappeared, it will be made of a different entity.

Then, he would need to investigate his Geass later, it seemed to be thriving and growing stronger in this world, powerful enough that a mental command is more than enough to control the magic in the air. His magic is supposed to be volatile, thus, powerful, in Zeref's word. The only limit would be his imagination.

Zeref smiled, "You must tell me how you did that one day."

"Naturally," He replied with a smile of his own, "If we are to be stuck with each other for centuries."

The wizard chuckled, "You must be careful, however. Even if this power of yours has somehow attained complete control over the magic you summoned, and access to the unending flow of nature without limit, your physical spirit will eventually give out to exhaustion in the creation of magic."

Ah, that is the second limitation then.

"And how would I refine and strengthen my physical spirit?" Lelouch asked dryly.

"As you use magic, your body will get accustomed to it, and the efficiency of magic creation will grow. One that live as long as I do would not waste a single drop of magic at my disposal." Zeref said. "There is also a container within all of us, so to say, to store the particles of pure magic we created as we open ourselves to nature."

"I see." He cupped his chin thoughtfully, "When the two-way connection between nature and oneself and nature is established, magic is being made unconsciously, filling in the storage within until one tap in to it."

"The storage determines how much magic are available at your disposal, some have greater capacity than the other. This way, the stress on the physical spirit will be lessened. Should a mage used up his Ethernano, particles of magic, he would need to wait for more to be created, or for it to be gathered from the atmosphere. An insignificant amount, I may add, it would take days for the container to filled up with just magic from the atmosphere." Zeref nodded at his deduction. "When one tap into it, pure magic will manifest in the element they hold an affinity to, then the mage must control it with his mental concentration, lest it consume him. The more powerful the magic, the harder it is to control them."

"How would I increase the size of my container?" Lelouch queried.

Zeref take a step toward him, hand glowing in the same hue when he breathed life into the motionless butterfly. Threads of magic shot out from his hand, surrounding and weaving themselves around him like a great cocoon, until it was dispelled when a shockwave burst from his body, sending Zeref tumbling back.

"There are a second dormant container within us that isn't normally used, the Second Origin. I've unlocked it for you."

"You haven't told me how." He pointed out, giving a grateful nod nevertheless.

"As you age, your physical spirit grows, it will increase in time." Zeref smiled, "There are other options, physical trainings, which would also increase your stamina, strength and speed, the natural way-"

"Dismissed." He cut off.

"How very aristocratic of you." Zeref smirked, he couldn't keep the amusement out of his voice, "I heard you _panting_ as we make our way through the forest."

"Perhaps I will rummage through the library, to find magic rituals that would aid me." Lelouch shook his head.

"There are some," Zeref mused, "Most have been lost to time, but the Academy is as ancient as the civilisation that built it. Though, the ingredients might prove elusive enough that we won't get our hand on them without waiting for decades."

"We have time, don't we?" Lelouch look on pensively, "I have no use for strength, when magic serves me just fine. Ethernano container, speed, dexterity, muscles flexibility and reaction will be all then."

"You have thought this out." Zeref said in an accusing tone, no doubt wary of his lust for power.

"I have." He admitted nonchalantly, "It is not as if my world lack imaginative minds to write about fantasy fiction and children's story. I am merely setting attainable and realistic goal for the future as I pursue the power I do not have."

"With great power comes great responsibility." Zeref warned

"With great power comes great possibility." He shot back.

"Such as…?" Zeref asked in an alarmed tone.

"Keeping you sane." He jokingly answered, "That would be quite a task, though not as much as trying to revive the dead." He added dryly.

Zeref blinked, then broke into a small smile.

"I'm sorry."

"You have the right to be suspicious, we have just only met." He said sagely, "I might murder you in your sleep tonight, drunk with power."

"I thought you were trying to keep me sane?" The moody mage asked, "Not the other way around."

Not that he could if he wanted, "Anyhow, you shouldn't deprive yourself of worldly pleasures and enjoyment simply because you are cursed."

"What pleasures are there left for me?" The sad smile returned.

"Food and drinks, I can name two of many from the top of my head." He said, suddenly remember the hunger that was clawing at him, "Forgive me, but surely you know how to cook?"

"…I don't." Zeref scowled, stuttered for a split moment, "I-It is not as if I need food, I cannot possibly die from hunger."

That explained why the Dark Mage had lost a _bit_ of his sanity.

"Lead me to the kitchen." Lelouch sighed, "My cooking is sufficient to say the least, I will see if I can fix up anything for us, if there is any ingredient that hasn't spoiled."

' _Good enough to stave off that pizza-maniac witch for a good while anyway.'_

Zeref nodded slowly, he looked baffled at the offer, the concept of someone cooking for him is more than foreign. As they make their way toward the dining room amidst the corridors, he turned to Lelouch, "Ah, I almost forgot, incantation would greatly aid the spell you cast, to ensure the magic flow smoothly."

"Incantation?" Lelouch asked incredulously, "I would cast myself down to eternal hell before I speak a single word while using magic. Can you imagine yourself doing that, summoning fire, shouting whilst waving your magical wand about?"

The images popped into the wizard's head, he then coughed violently, a tint of pink on his cheek, "We do not use wands." He said firmly.

"But you do chant sometimes?" Lelouch asked wryly, smirking as the pink deepened.

"T-the point is," Zeref brushed the question away, "It would help, conversing your stamina and even enhance the spell."

"Hn." Lelouch grunted, "Spells simply serve as a method of memorisation does it not?"

"Memorisation?"

"Magic is like a clock, one needs every part to come together and in the right place for it to work, a process may prove too complicated in bringing spirits together." He mused, "If you associate it with a word, one's mind would recognise the pattern, and put it all together instinctively as it slowly becomes a habit. Perhaps that is why one need to practiced performing a spell multiple times as their mind gets accustomed to it."

"I have never thought of it that way…" Zeref muttered thoughtfully, the incantations have always come naturally to a mage. "…perhaps you are right."

"Without a spell, I merely need to mould magic as I would a clay to how I want it to be, it offers flexibility and unpredictability." He smirked, "And without the need to act all _magical_ about it to use it."

"You love making mockery out of other, don't you?" The mage scowled, this time he managed to rein in the blush better, but the pink was still visible.

"I wouldn't dare!" Lelouch protested hurtfully.

"It is but a way for me to cope with the fact that I am in the company of the most powerful wizard that walked the earth. You wound me with such accusations!" He accompanied the dramatic words with a sorrowful smile, clutching his heart. "After all, it is difficult to look at you as _the_ Dark Mage, when in my mind, you were spinning about in a pink skirt, hand waving a star-pointed wand as you conjure up rainbows and colourful glitters."

Zeref gasped breathlessly, his pale face reddened as the disturbing images popped up in his mind. Yet, before he could form a proper response, Lelouch already left, slipping into the kitchen they were standing in front of with a blank smile.

* * *

 **X686**

Lelouch sighed contently, taking in a small sip of the black tea he'd searched so hard for, then set the decorated cup down with a small clang. He turned his eyes to the bustling port of Hargeon and let his mind wander.

The Dark Mage has been acting rather oddly these days, leaving the academy in erratic interval, and spent far too long in the outside world than usual. He did not pry, as it is no business of his, he busied himself learning as much as he could about this world. Schools were never an interest to him, but he was fascinated by this new world, anyone would. It was… pleasant, to have something to pass the endless time he has at his disposal, not as strong as the drive to destroy the Empire, but it is still a drive nonetheless.

He is already well-versed in the common language spoken in Ishgar, along with the ancient language of the academy where he resides. He has sufficient knowledge of the history of Earth Land, it is surprising how similar the countries in Ishgar are, they all shared a same common language, with cultures not so different from each other. Technology wise, it is not so backward that he has to do any major adjustment in his lifestyle, magic did an exceptional job replacing the technology from his world. Not that they don't have any of their own, at this very moment, the world is experiencing an increasingly common use of steam machinery.

As he drowns himself in dusty tomes, parchments and the peace of solitude, sipping away his tea and enjoying his sweets as time passed by, imagine his surprise, when Zeref barged into the library, and demanded that he accompany him to Fiore.

So, here he is, lounging by the port at the roof of a lovely coffee house, letting himself slowly drift to a state of bliss with the warm sun. It's a shame really, that scone doesn't exist.

And jam.

And cream.

...He needs to fix this.

"Lelouch."

With great difficulties, he managed to turn his head from the pleasant sunlight toward the voice after two antagonizing minutes. "…you're late." He stated.

"I'm sorry." Zeref apologised, "Igneel held me back."

"The Dragon?"

"Yes."

His mind drifted to the Fire Dragon King, the dark, red scales, the scars and its insufferable grumpy attitude.

They've met once, when the Dragon brought down what remains of the city walls, caused a small tremor that displaced the chess pieces on the chess board he was playing with Zeref. He was about to secure another win, placing it at 72-14.

Zeref is surprisingly good at chess, but of course, nowhere near as good as he is, in his most humble opinion.

"More plotting to be done?" Lelouch asked absently, having no intention to force the wizard to spill his secret dealing with the great red reptile.

"Don't make it sound so sinister." Zeref sighed. "I'll let you know eventually."

"Shall we leave then?" Lelouch covered his small yawn, propping himself up, "We're attracting quite a bit of attention."

Zeref lips curled down in confusion, then scanned the room with a glance, "Why are they staring at us? I was certain that without my aura, no one would recognize me."

"We're quite an eye candy, aren't we?" He asked bluntly with a smirk, "It is only natural."

"Your arrogance has grown since our first meeting." Zeref shook his head, "You, I can understand, but me?"

"Without your aura of death, the sad gaze and smile that etched on your face make you look quite adorable." A teasing smile settled on his face, "You looked like you are in desperate need of a hug."

Zeref looked thoughtfully for a moment, and surprisingly, did not deny or dismiss the observation.

"I have someone I want you to meet." The wizard said as they exit the building.

"Oh?" He spared his companion a glance, "Do tell."

"Someone who did not immediately branded me a monster, the second one, you are the first." Zeref said wistfully, "She tried to ease my loneliness with illusion of animals, having recognised my curse. She then asked for my assistance, to teach her magic so that she could defeat her enemy. I will be leaving them today."

"You wanted me to help her in your stead."

"I do." The wizard sent him a smile. "I treasure the time I spent with them deeply."

"I treasure the time I am about to spend with my tea _deeply_."

"I promise, I will cover the tremendous cost of your tea consumption for the next five years." Zeref let out a sigh, Lelouch's fondness for black tea was not known to him until seven years ago, when they'd found the plant somewhere in Enca.

"Agreed."

They continued the rest of the way in comfortable silence, up to the edge of the forest between Magnolia and Hargeon.

"You've returned..." The voice trailed off, a girl no older than thirteen stepped out of the bush, the single lock of hair that pointed upward caught his eye first, then the wavy, pastel blond hair and two orbs of green. "…h-how did you get so close to him?"

Lelouch titled his head.

"Don't you dare." Zeref hushed quietly.

' _Isn't she a bit too small?'_ He almost said it.

"I'm a bit like him."

The immortal part.

"You were cursed by Ankhseram too?" The girl asked with a gaze full of empathy.

"No…" He strode suddenly toward her, and her eyes widened when nothing happened. He wondered if she would die if he had been truly cursed, how much he values a life is debatable, "…but I do not belong to this world."

Her face scrunched up in confusion, evidently does not understand what he meant, though, that matters little.

"May I know your name?"

"My name is Mavis." She introduced herself, gesturing to the empty space next to her, "And there's Zera."

He glanced back to Zeref, but he was already gone. He might as well play along and ask later. "Lelouch vi Britannia, a pleasure." And he would need to get used to calling someone he just met by the first name.

"It was my elusive friend's wish that I aid you in your endeavour."

"I cannot accept your aid." Mavis shook her head, "We must face our enemy and defeat them by ourselves."

"Can you defeat a Dragon, Mavis?" Lelouch inquired absently.

She was visibly taken back by the question, "...I can't."

He simply smiled, "I can."

She gave him a calculative gaze, sizing him, and he wondered, whether she will believe his claim.

"Our enemy is not a dragon." She said firmly.

Smart, she did not reject his claim, but didn't accept it either. Not that anyone can doubt the power of the Dark Mage's associate. Though, he doubted the girl is even aware that the one who just teach her magic is Zeref.

"Then I won't interfere. If fate happened to pull some string to make a Dragon swooped down from above, only then I will aid you, deal?" He offered, earning himself another calculative gaze.

"Deal." She agreed.

"Perfect." Lelouch give her another smile, a mask he has worn so often in the past. "I will remain hidden, until my presence is required, if nothing untoward happen, I shall take my leave."

"Don't you want to meet my friends?" Her voice sounded almost shocked.

"The knowledge of my presence will set an expectation of aid. Their will to fight will weaken." He pointed out, "If they feel cornered, their will to fight will be infused with desperation, thus making them fight more effectively."

"I would never do that." Mavis' eyes narrowed threateningly, "Not to my own friends!"

"If they are not your friends would you be willing to do it then?" He paid no heed to the protest, glancing into the forest nonchalantly.

"Not even if that is the case! We can rely on each other, we don't need to deceive ourselves for a bit of advantage!" She protested.

"You are their strategist, aren't you?" He smiled as she grew silent, it is obvious, she is, at the moment, the one doing the negotiation, with full confidence that her party would accept what she will bring to them. "When you see pieces on your side as something precious to protect, you compromised your chance of victory, and endangers the other pieces on your side who risk themselves to protect the precious ones. It would only further the casualties in the end."

"I-"

"What if it is for their own good then? So that you may push them to the limit and let them grow." He continues his assault, "You wouldn't be asking for my associate's assistance if you are powerful enough to defeat your enemy. Clearly you have clashed with them before, you have lost. What is the price of such defeat? If you continue to shelter them with assurance of safety, what would the price of the next time be? Such naivety will be your downfall."

She gave him a defiant look, after four seconds of hesitation. "No."

"No?" He asked with a raised brow.

"We will protect each other, I will protect them!" Mavis declared, pointing at him, green emerald orbs burn with determination, "I will prove you wrong, we are not pieces on a game board to be used and sacrificed, when we have each other, we don't need anything else!"

Bah.

He just wanted to avoid the hassle of socializing, maybe he pushed it a _tad_ too far.

He wondered why he did that, a simple polite declination would've been enough. Perhaps that damnable idealistic belief reminded him of a certain someone.

"I will be watching." He concluded the conversation with another blank smile, fading away. "I wish you good fortune in the battle to come."

Lelouch materialised as though he were stepping through a mist, right in front the coffee house he'd been moment ago. Colourless, pure magic whirled in his hand as he uttered a command to the thought projection in the form of a raven. "Keep an eye on them for me, will you?"

The raven titled its head at him, before taking off with a small _caw_.

He stepped inside, whipped to the counter, and flashed a charming smile to the young blue-haired barista – or whatever they called barista in this world is, behind the counter, "I apologise for the inconvenience, I wonder if my usual spot is taken?"

"N-not at all!" She stammered, a healthy blush rising, "We always saved that seat for you, your drinks are still there."

"Thank you." He set 200 jewels down, and left promptly, much to her disappointment.

Lelouch plopped down to the chaise longue, stifling a yawn as he settled into the warm sunlight. An invisible force forced the teaspoon into a 6 o'clock position and began folding the tea. When the stirring was done, the teaspoon placed itself down to the saucer with a small clang, and he reached for a sip. It didn't take long for him to drift into the blissful void, he'd blamed it on the boredom, calming scenery and the cool breeze, but maybe he's just growing old.

Nine years were surprisingly long for him, especially since he has been through so much with less than 20 years in his world. The times spent in the Academy were full of tranquillity, restful and serene. True to Zeref's words, his appearance did not change in the slightest, if anything, he might be growing younger since the departure of the haunting stress since he came here.

The Dark Mage practically doted on him, rarely ever let him out of his sight, and spend most of his time tutoring him in Magic, from Elemental Aspects to the Black Arts and Forbidden Magic. Zeref has an aversion to social interaction, no doubt the result of his long years of seclusion, but really, who is he to say anything about it, considering he _is_ Lelouch vi Britannia. It took three years for them to get used to each other's presence without the constant sarcastic jests or the discussion being predominantly magic.

Despite it all, his company alone was not enough, nor was the Dark Mage's company enough for him. He still yearns for those he left behind, the world he'd built. Two wounded souls can only do so much to heal each other. Zeref's faith of humanity remained the same, by which he means the lack of it. What could he possibly do? He himself have little faith for the stupidity of humanity. Zeref would only open up to him and him alone, their friendship is nothing but merely a temporary bandage to stop the flow of blood.

Mavis on the other hand, present an opportunity, a slim chance of breaking into the shell Zeref has built around him. She is the first in this world to understand the Dark Mage, he does not belong to this world, and is inherently different, Zeref is aware of the fact. For all it's worth, he should – no, he _must_ look out for the little brat, for Zeref's sake. The mage may find solace and love in the girl.

Oh, the irony, what's the bloody quote again?

' _Inside every cynical person, there is a disappointed idealist.'_

Ah, that's the quote.

Lelouch's eyes snapped open, the raven he'd sent popped, its fresh memory flashed in his mind.

He let out a small sigh, took another sip, propping himself up. Lips mumbled a silent word to activate the teleportation spell Zeref taught him, he envisioned the location in his mind and forced his way through space and time.

* * *

"It's not really a dragon." Lelouch remarked coolly, setting violet orbs on the rampaging monstrosity in the town of Magnolia.

Mavis, and a young man with pale blond hair with an eyepatch, spun toward him.

"Lelouch!" The girl exclaimed, surprised by his sudden appearance, but shook out of it and tug at his shirt, "Can you stop it? We must save the town!"

Wordlessly, he summoned a walking cane from thin air. The ornate cane is what one would find in a 17th century gentleman's wardrobe, made of British Elm, an ancient tree found in Mildian's immediate vicinity. The tip was a shape of a raven, plated in silver, shaking ever so slightly as the power swirled from his hand to it. The eyes of the beautifully carved raven glowed with the colour of a polished shard of steel.

He took a step toward the skeleton, flicking the cane in an upward motion. A sound of glass breaking pierced through the sky, for an instant the very air under the skull dragon's head cracked like an old mirror, then the colourless magic in the air boomed at the disturbance made by the crack of space. The natural existing magic in the air came soaring at every direction, ramming into the beast, sending the massive skeleton tumbling back. Half of its jaw slackened and broke into tiny shards of bone, two cottages underneath the cracking space suffered the same fate, collapsing under the wave of pure magic.

Lelouch hummed absently, smiling as he sealed the crack shut with a flick to the left, taking another step toward the beast.

"Stop! Stop right this instant!" Mavis shouted, pulling at his shirt.

"Didn't you just ask me to stop it?" He turned around, sighing.

"You can't destroy it!" She looked at the skeleton worriedly, "That's Yuri! The Tenrou Jade's evil power is possessing him!"

"You can let me destroy it right now…" He said, completely uninterested, "…or wait until it destroyed the whole town, then I'll break it down."

"I can defeat it and save Yuri." With a tone full of confidence, she narrowed her eyes at him. "I just need to get close enough to it."

Violet and green warred in the silence, her blazing determination stands unflinchingly against his icy gaze.

"I'm not powerful enough to immobilize something so massive." Not yet. "But I can send you through space, into the air above its neck, be ready to grab onto it."

She beamed at him, but said nothing, readying herself.

Lelouch gave a small nod, placing a hand on her lithe frame, and draw in the magic, blurring the air around her until she was gone. His Geass glowed as it draws in magic from his Ethernano container, enhancing his sight whilst he tracked the spot of soft yellow that is her hair on the skull dragon's neck.

"W-who are you?" The man with an eyepatch asked.

"Lelouch vi Britannia." He said, his sight still on Mavis, "An associate of the one who teach you magic."

"Precht Gaebolg." The man introduced himself. "You could've stopped it, why did you let Mavis risk her life like that?"

"It was her choice, who am I to deny her that wish?"

Precht grew silent at his answer, falling to his knees as they both watched Mavis struggled to cling to the skeleton. The man appeared quite restless, yet Precht knows that he would only burdened her if he were to join the fray.

The skull dragon panicked at Mavis' touch, roaring angrily as it run itself into the surrounding buildings. Mavis did not come out unscathed, he could see a flash of red on her peachy skin. Two seconds later, she jumped off to the air, using the momentum of the rising skeleton, prompting Precht to shot up, biting his lips helplessly.

Lelouch remained silent, watching her intently as she landed on the skull and rolled off it, then he knew, just what her plan is.

A brilliant, blinding light engulfed the skull dragon.

It stood motionlessly, then break down with an audible thud from where he stands.

"I suggest you get moving." Lelouch turned to Precht with a mask of indifference. "She won't be getting up any time soon."

Precht pulled himself out of his shock, then make a run to what remains of the skeleton.

He let a small smile to show, a genuine one, full of amusement as he recalls the challenge she threw at him, then whisked around, moving toward the horizon.


	3. Chapter 2

**X686**

… _a day later._

Sharp shadow casted by the curtains that framed the window started to fade at the onset of daylight. The sun ray slipped through the small gap, streaks of yellow crept its way toward the wild and unkempt bundle of black.

Lelouch turned his body heavily as the light brushes against his eyes. The featherbed sank in with his light weight, and he almost moaned at the comfort. Yet, his mind refuses to rest as he wrapped himself into the fur blanket and snuggled into the warm softness of Heaven.

It's a shame, that his body could never get used to the luxuries available to him in this world. Eleven hours of sleep seemed a bit short, he told himself as he yawned. The days are growing longer, just as Zeref has warned. For a being with so much time and so little to do, the feeling is only natural.

Lelouch wondered just how much time he'd wasted in the last nine years, when he isn't reading up forbidden grimoires, ancient tomes and playing with magic. Not that he would ever need to squeeze every drop out of every minute to be productive, he does have time to waste, after all.

The symmetry of a hall doesn't really have meaning until one stand in it and stare it down for 7 hours straight.

With a silent curse, he pushed himself up, willing the pure Ethernano dwelling within the room into a gush of wind. The breeze levitated the bedding off the ground, folding the blanket as it straightened out his bed. He turned to the door and strolled down the corridor toward the communal bathroom at the end of the hallway, passing by the library and the other empty rooms in the residence area.

The marble door opened into a massive open air bath, bearing a design almost identical to one of Ancient Rome's bathing complex. Benches sprawled along the two side, and the bath in the middle, easily take up to over a hundred people, and still large enough to provide one with their own space. The water is so clear one could make out the intricate patterns of the floor tiles beneath. Majestic statues of various magical creatures could be spotted around the bath, from their jaws come an unending stream of liquids, purified by the runes carved into the statues, still humming with power despite their old age. There are drains underneath the bath, yet the water level has remained the same for centuries. He suspected that it's a part of a massive recycle system that provides water to the communal bathroom of the academy.

He undressed himself, gave his body a throughout rinse, and eased into the bath with a sigh full of satisfaction. The water is laced with cleansing magic, eliminating the need for shampoo entirely. Every stain that deemed unclean would be ruthlessly removed by the current, filtered down to the drain and emerged as immaculate liquid later.

"You're up early." Lelouch didn't need to open his eyes to know that it's Zeref. There are only two persons in this world who can find their way into Mildian.

"Forgive me, your Excellency." He apologised in an absolutely unapologetic tone. "I would kneel to greet you, but the task given to me have pushed me to the brink of exhaustion. I'm afraid my frail body cannot handle something so taxing at the moment."

Zeref sighed at the antic, before removing his own clothes. He wrapped a towel around his private part and joined Lelouch in the bath after washing his body, setting aside the towel on a bench within his reach.

"How did it go?" The mage asked, no doubt about the ruckus in Magnolia a week ago.

Zeref's wanderlust surfaced now and then, it is not strange for him to find the mage missing for weeks after a prolonged stay at the academy. It's been nearly a week since they parted at the edge of the forest.

"Tragic." He heard another sigh from the mage, "She was winning her battle, until she won, then she started losing."

Zeref blinked.

"Our heroes brought down the villainous guild, and emerged victorious through a good plan, an unbreakable will and the power of friendship, but it's mostly the plan."

"What happened after that?"

"Well, then it turned out their conviction to do good and the power of their friendship weren't all that powerful after all." Lelouch yawned, the images of Mavis desperately trying to convince one of her companion to leave the Tenrou Jade flashed in his mind. "Tenrou Jade, the treasure they sought after corrupted one of her companion, feeding on his greed. It took control of the pile of bones the Blue Skull have been parading around."

"I'm sure you took care of it then?" Zeref inquired, eyes glancing to the serene scenery of the lively forest and snow-white mountains from afar.

"I was, until she stopped me. Insisting that she would save everyone."

The mage blossomed into a smile when Lelouch stopped speaking. "...she succeeded." He concluded.

"You taught her _Law_."

"I did." Zeref admitted with a worried frown. "Did she-"

"She did." Lelouch nodded, twirling his hand in the water with a look of disinterest.

"She couldn't possibly mastered _Law_ in such a short period of time." Zeref whispered, "You should've stopped her, you knew she is no match for such artifact."

"I wouldn't, not even if somehow you didn't accidentally forget to tell me that you have been teaching her such a spell."

Zeref winced when Lelouch pointed it out. "It could have costed Mavis her life." The mage protested anyway.

"I'd assumed that you knew of idealism and its impractical nature. She would blame herself for the fate of her dear friends." He replied nonchalantly, "Supposedly I could be bothered into saving her friend, of which I greatly doubt, and dismantle the Jade, she would still wallow in her misery, that she had failed her friend nevertheless."

"You are right." Zeref surrendered after a moment of silence. "Had I refused and distanced myself, they would give up on the task entirely, they would realize the futility, without the magic I have taught them. It was my fault..."

 _'Good grief, he doesn't know of idealists because he is one.'_ Lelouch rolled his eyes. "I'm sure you are aware that Mavis and her companions have already clashed with their enemy when she requested your assistance?"

"I do, they were injured."

"And the mood in the air when you first met?"

"Somber, doubtful..." The mage muttered, "...defeated."

"Quite obvious, is it not?" Lelouch threw the lazy summer sky a lazy gaze of his own, "Their friendship would have shattered under the bitter taste of defeat, snapped by the doubts that plagued them. They have emerged victorious instead, matured from the challenge and their bond will grow stronger than ever. There are potential, and you created the foundation which they may build upon to realize their potential. They ought to be grateful for the opportunity."

"It sounded as if you were trying to _console_ me." Zeref smiled.

"That is because _I am_. A demon incarnate I might be, but I can share what little kindness I have left for a friend in this world."

Zeref grew silent as he contemplates the words, water glittered in his eyes, threatening to fall.

' _I should've gone with the sarcastic route after all.'_

"A simple _'thank you'_ , or _'I'm grateful'_ would've been enough." Lelouch sighed, even now he's still not entirely sure how to react to that. "Shall I give you a hug too?"

"You should be careful, Lelouch." With a smile, the mage reined in his emotionally fragile state, mostly. "I would counsel you on your jest, but I shall concede before you push the matter further."

Violet orbs twinkled with amusement, "A wise choice. I can be a _tad_ competitive at times, and my distaste for losing might stray us down the path we do not want to take."

Zeref shook his head. "You are fully aware of your flaws, yet you refuse to fix them."

"The moment I change myself, I am no longer Lelouch vi Britannia." Arrogance was oozing out from his declaration, prompting a chuckle from Zeref.

"Come with me." Zeref said, reaching for his towel. "It's time for you to know."

Lelouch nodded, reached for his own towel and wrapped himself with it. They left the bath, changed, and trekked to the dining hall, all done in a comfortable silence. Since he found a way to properly exploits telekinesis, his presence in the kitchen is only necessary for the most delicate of dishes. Telekinesis is essentially reaching out to the Ethernano that resides in an object. An order then could be given, to summon said object to one's hand or push it along a trajectory, the more complex orders needed a bit more mental concentration and picturing in his mind but that's about it. The only reason only a select few can perform the simple feat is because the Ethernano remains pure, and are not attuned to an element that an individual has the affinity to, thus difficult to control.

And his ability to manipulates pure Ethernano at his whim and wishes? Well, his potential is close to limitless, since he _cheated_.

He almost felt bad for mages around Earth Land struggling to control their magic, almost.

* * *

Lelouch cursed under his breath as the howling wind rammed into him. He let his eyes strayed up, the sunlight is struggling to get pass the clouded grey sky. Hand reaching to his walking cane, he tapped it once into the ground, forcing the snow away from his path, so that he may see the road. The ice-white dust clung to his cloak stubbornly, before falling to the ground as he pressed for another step.

His current attire is the exact same he'd wore under the name Julius Kingsley. He thought it was quite fitting for the journey, since when he had been Julius Kingsley, he was deployed to St. Petersburg, and was greeted with the same bloody snow. The Empire may be evil and cruel, but their uniforms are undeniably stylish. As the unpleasant memories of Charles' manipulation faded away with time, he has taken a liking to the outfit. Even the eyepatch remained on his right eye, dangling purple crystals thrumming with the power he infused into them.

Shadow of a derelict mansion loomed into his vision soon after, Zeref stood in front of it, the usual sadness on his face as he stared at it, uncaring of the snow raging around him.

He walked up the worn stone steps, eyes on the scratched teal paint of the door handle. He tapped the cane on the wooden door twice. With a loud metallic click, the door creaked open.

Zeref stepped into the dim hall, and he followed the mage with a look of disinterest. The smell of damp and dust struck him instantly. He gave a small wave of his hand, a soft hissing noise of Ethernano answered him and the old oil lamps lining around the derelict building lit up, casting a flickering light over the cobwebby walls.

The mage strode toward the door at the far end of the hall, stepped into the room and plucked out a locket from the drawers, channeling enough magic to make an S-Class Mage to collapse from exhaustion into it. In a spark of light, the locket opened to reveal a picture of a young woman, and a small dusty parchment of paper that fell out of it.

"Did we really killed four Wyvern and trudged through a blizzard for a locket?"

Zeref squeezed the locket tightly in his hand, turning to him with a sad smile, but this time, it was weighted further down. "Lelouch, I succeeded with the task I have set out to do over three centuries ago."

Lelouch blinked.

"I have created countless Demons from Ethernano. Among them, I created one from the dead body of my brother. E. N. D. Etherious Natsu Dragneel, whose purpose is to kill me. I met Igneel within the same year I created Natsu, and we became acquaintance, he agreed to raise Natsu and teach him Dragon Slayer Magic. It was then, that I became aware of the plan hatched by him and the other dragons to defeat Acnologia."

"I did read about it. The Dragon of Apocalypse, the greatest threat to all living beings in this world, stole their soul and leave them weakened." Lelouch commented, after processing the load of information suddenly dumped on him. "Dragons are noted for their strong connection to ethernano, if they are to survive and recover, they need to wait until the population of this world grew to an acceptable level, which then will result in a rise of excess Ethernano that mages exuded when their containers are full."

The mage shook his head, Lelouch might as well tell the rest of the story, his perception is frightening, "It will take centuries, they cannot afford to wait for so long. So, they decided to seal their soul within the Dragon Slayers they have raised. This coincided with my wish for Natsu to grow stronger and kill me, I decided to help them, and sought out the most powerful Celestial Spirit Mage at the time, Anna Heartfilia, to open the gate to send them to the future. They will be able to recover, and perhaps, battle Acnologia."

"When is this _future_?"

"This mansion used to be hers." Zeref looked around sadly, then pass him the parchment, "July 7, X777. I can wait, my death will eventually come, I can at least atone for my sin, by offering them my assistance and give them a chance to defeat Acnologia."

"I met the dragon."

"A piece of Igneel's soul, nothing more. It shall rejoin him when he arrived." Zeref muttered.

It wasn't the immortality that pushed him to such a decision, it was, and still is, the curse of Ankhseram. His very existence endangers the world just as much as Acnologia's. Lelouch could restrain him, but for how long? How long before his mind just snapped, and end up with him unleashing the full power of the curse?

He wondered, if it came out as selfish, if he left Lelouch alone in this world.

' _No, it would be selfish to leave this world to Lelouch'_ , Zeref chuckled mirthlessly, one day Lelouch might grow bored enough to consider world domination.

Lelouch do have enough princely quality about him that if he'd walked up to a stranger and claimed that he is one, they would believe him.

Demanding, authoritative, ruthless, cold and arrogant.

Worse, he's also cunning, sly, persuasive and somehow intimidating at the same time. He has the _right_ to be arrogant. He can do what he claims he will do, or make other to do it for him, one way or another. Somehow, all that contradicting quality managed to fit seamlessly with each other.

A fearsome individual.

Truthfully, Mavis' presence, no matter how brief, was a calming draught to him. She is kind, cheerful, carefree and innocent, it was soothing just to hear her voice, laced with happiness. If there is anyone out there that might help him to rein in the monster within, she would be.

Lelouch vi Britannia, on the other hand, is completely uncaring of his vindictive nature, his ruthlessness, and his loathing of human's foolishness. Lelouch himself embraced his own monster, demand that it obeys him, and _make_ it obey him.

He could see it, he could feel it.

The wariness of offers of friendship, the bitterness and betrayal in his eyes when his past surfaced. He was betrayed, he was hurt, and he was alone to deal with it all. They share a mutual understanding, the same burden, and the same sorrow.

The worlds branded two demons, one with power beyond mortal's understanding, the other with unquenched ambition and unmatched intelligence. Two lonely soul cursed by the burden they bear.

There is no one more worthy to walk with him as his equal.

Yet, the strain of immortality will eventually get to Lelouch, just as it did him, when Lelouch grew bored and tired of the world, he would try to end himself to no avail. That pain will be beyond excruciating, whether it's the loneliness that will make him to so, or the helplessness as he watches his loved ones grow old and wither.

"This change nothing." Lelouch said evenly.

"Nothing?" Zeref whispered, not even trying to keep the shock out of his voice. "I had expected-"

"What? Anger?" Lelouch smiled bitterly, "Zeref, my time was finite, and I was prepared to throw it all away. I knew nothing but anger, resentment, betrayal, hatred, sorrow, grief, despair and loneliness. Those I love died, one by one, for the ascension of the 99th Emperor of Britannia. I was determined to make that cruel world a better place for the only light in the darkness I have been living in my whole life. Then, that light too turned against me, and deemed me an evil to be removed. In the loneliness riddled with regret, I silently engineered my death, I engraved my infamy into pages of history. Then I left. I was tired, tired of the intrigue, of the deaths, of the blood on my hand. I was tired of living."

Zeref bit his lips, Lelouch'd told him about Shirley Fenette. When that terrible memory was brought up, Lelouch simply left and shut his room after.

"Then, the twisted humor of fate, or perhaps the maddening fools that are writing the story of my life saw it fit to deny me my rest. I will not deny you the rest you desire, Zeref."

Zeref face fell, he didn't expect that he would be so saddened by the acceptance he sought for. "Do you remember that day, four years ago?" He whispered wistfully.

* * *

 _4 years ago, X681_

" _Un verre de champagne?" He asked, in another language Lelouch often use, his robe and toga rustling in the wind as he seated himself down the wooden chair. "What's the special occasion?"_

 _Lelouch's eyes met his own for a split second, before reaching for the decorated teapot with his hand._

 _He proffered his own cup out, turning to the gushing water._

 _They were currently seated under the willow tree by the river, as Lelouch had demanded so adamantly that they are to have a light meal between lunch and dinner. The weather is too simply pleasant, and the air is simply too fresh to waste, or so he argued. The meal consisted of light snacks, sweets and tea, never anything alcoholic unless there is something worth celebrating, which is quite rare for beings such as them._

" _We met each other exactly five years ago, on this day."_

" _Ah." He smiled at the Britannian prince, "You were so paranoid then, even after you told me of your power, I did not know that both of your eyes could manifest the symbol, you have hid it well."_

" _My eyes are the reason I am able to control ethernano so easily. I do not need to reveal both, for I have yet to find the need to summon a quantity large enough to level a city." Lelouch said, taking a small sip, "And, in case someone somehow managed to remove the eye I shown them, I still have another to let them taste pain beyond agonising."_

" _I would never let you come to harm, Lelouch." He replied, almost standing up, but constrained himself to remain seated._

 _They sat there in comfortable silence, letting the Mildian's veil of time carry them away, along with the splashing water and the breeze in the air. A bleak, thin wind it was, he could hear the soft gossips of the broad-leaved shrubbery as he enjoys the drink._

" _Do you remember your birthday, Zeref?"_

 _The cup halted in its track, he felt his blood run cold at the word. "…no." He shook his head, "I haven't celebrated the day I came into the world since everything I have were taken away. It is long forgotten."_

" _I do not remember mine either." A crestfallen expression crawled its way to Lelouch's delicate face, "I never cared for it, I was kept occupied just to stay alive. My dear sister was determined to remind me, and I did it for her sake. Without her, the day has faded away from my mind so fast…"_

 _An air of melancholy and the sentimental mood easily claimed them both. He wanted to break out of it, but the task just seemed to be so difficult._

" _It is so peaceful." Lelouch murmured minutes later, head turning to the setting sun. "If only…"_

" _If only." He did not let Lelouch finish the sentence, it would only further the sadness of them both._

 _They fell silent again. The clouds turned to a bright red color by the rays casted down from above._

" _I would betray my reward, if I let myself be drowned in sorrow." Lelouch forced a smile up his face, though there was still a hint of pain in his eyes. "Today is the day I met you and stumbled into this world, cursed to immortality, and today is the day the Dark Mage met his first companion. Shall we mark it as the day we were reborn?"_

" _Lelouch?" He whispered, eyes wide._

 _Lelouch held out his glass of wine, "Meilleurs vœux, Zeref."_

 _With moisture glistened in his eyes, he raised his own, slowly, and clinked Lelouch's glass. "Best wishes to you as well, Lelouch."_

* * *

"You could've simply said _'Happy Birthday'._ " Zeref smiled fondly, but right after, as the liquid traveled down his throat, he swore he'd heard a small whisper from Lelouch, something along the line of _'…and you as well, C.C.'_

"It sounded a bit corny for my taste." The Demon Emperor waved his hand dismissively, then smiled, "I suppose, once you were gone, I will visit your grave every year, with a present and a letter. Then the year after that, then on and on it goes, hoping that you will read them one day."

"You're cruel, Lelouch." The mage chided.

"I meant it when I say I would let you leave." Lelouch said quickly, keeping his voice blank, "I would even aid the Heartfilia in opening the gate again when the time comes."

"But then-"

"But then, I will end up alone." His smile strained, "I will aid you, and try my best in steering you away from such thought to the best of my ability, but I will not stop you."

"What would you do, if I am gone?" Zeref's breathing was ragged, "Besides the presents and letters."

"I would pierce the veil of space and time, and open the gate to another dimension, to a new adventure." Lelouch replied smoothly, "Now, however, I have one I need to finish first."

"Yes, it sounded like what you would do." He pursed his lips.

"Perhaps I shall bed every maiden in the world."

The mage choked.

* * *

 **X686**

… _five months later._

Mavis hummed, feet dangling in the air from the branch as she watches the construction of a building from afar, her building, Fairy Tail's home.

She sniffed, a sad gaze flashed for a split second, and disappeared as fast as it came. She stared to the empty space next to her, mind drifting to the hurtful revelation that the one most precious to her, is nothing but an illusion. When she'd realized that, when Yuri pointed it out to her at last, it… hurts.

Despite the promise she had made, to move on for Zera's sake and her own, she couldn't help but slipped to moments of melancholy every now and then.

"Ah, there you are."

Mavis whisked to the voice she had not expected to ever hear from again, spotting a cloaked figure. "Lelouch?"

"Good afternoon, Mavis." Lelouch greeted, pulling his hood down. "I see you have recovered from your reckless use of _Law_ _._ "

"Not entirely. This body can no longer mature, but it is far worth it, Yuri was saved." She gave him a bright smile, jumped down and enveloped him in a hug, much to Lelouch's dismay. "I haven't got a chance to say thank you."

Lelouch nodded in acceptance, then stared at her incredulously, "I'm a bit lost though." He said, "If I were you, I'd be overjoyed at the prospect of eternal youth."

"I'm no larger than a child, four or five more years would have been nice."

He inclined his head in agreement, "Indeed, four or five more years, then I might even be tempted to kidnap you."

Mavis could feel her face heating up, she understood the implication, yet got no idea how to react to it.

"A mage guild, I heard?" He glanced toward the construction.

She beamed at the mention of her plan, "It'll be my new family."

"I assume you already have a name in mind?"

"Fairy Tail." She replied instantly, with another smile, he's quite certain she was just waiting for that question to come.

"Hn."

"What's with that reaction!?" Mavis pouted at his most apathetic response. "I haven't forgot about the challenge-"

"I do hope that there won't be a directive carved into Fairy Tail's core tenet that stated something along the line of _'Prove that Lelouch vi Britannia is wrong.'_ " Lelouch sighed when he'd spotted the mischievous grin on the brat's face. "Very well, I will indulge you, why did you found a mage guild?"

"It's important that one has a place they can come home to. My…" Mavis trailed off, a hint of gloom in her voice, "…friend wished she could save Magnolia, and freeing them isn't enough. A guild has a lot of power over everything around them, we could help the people out this way."

"And the name?"

"Do fairies really have tails?" She asked with a faraway look, "In fact, do fairies even exist?"

' _I'm sure I have the answer already.'_ He was tempted to say it out loud.

"An eternal mystery. An eternal adventure." The pair of longing emerald turned to him, "Those are the feelings I've tried to capture with the name. Fairy Tail."

"How long did it take for you to memorized it all?" He asked absently.

"You're evil..." She muttered, giving him a glare.

"Mavis." Lelouch said gravely, "it can be dangerous to give me compliments like that. I might feel underserving and bashful and want to do something worthy of your praise."

"You really are."

"Anyhow, I have a gift for Fairy Tail's first guild master."

Mavis tilted her head questioningly, then her eyes sparkled as a child would when they'd found a new toy. She set her sight on two glass bulbs connected by a narrow neck, indecipherable symbols and words carved on the wooden two-legged stand that hold the glasses together. The sands were a color of iridescent purple, shifting in color as they trickled down.

"This is an hourglass." There is no such thing in Earth Land, he had to make one himself. "An instrument to measure the passage of time. It shall take three hours to empty all the sand from one bulb to another, simply invert the bulbs once the upper bulb is empty, and you may reuse it indefinitely."

"There must be another way to use it. Something so simple shouldn't need such intricate magic runes to function." She said thoughtfully, eyes completely captivated by the trickling sand.

' _Yes, it also measures how much time you have left, until the curse claimed you, just as it did Zeref. It will be only a matter of time, before the sand vanish at your touch.'_ Lelouch gave her a cryptic smile, then willed his existence away from Fiore. "That is for you to find out."

It is just as he predicted, she stopped growing after the use of _Law_ … a shame. Preventing Zeref from rushing to her aid had been difficult, it would be too cruel if she found out now, if Zeref revealed it to her. He could at least hide it away from them both, and let she enjoy what's left of her time.

"You are leaving already?"

"We will meet again." He left the last sentence hanging in the air as his body faded away.

* * *

 **X690**

"Lelouch."

"Hmm?" He stared up at Zeref lazily, looming over the patch of grass he's lounging on.

"I've heard disturbing news." The mage frowned, "Piracy all over Ishgar have ceased completely."

"Isn't that good news?" He asked, moving his eyes back to the large scroll of paper on his hand.

"They are convening on an island near Enca, all seventeen pirate captains and their fleets. I wish to root out the evil, given the opportunity, and do the world a favour."

"…that won't do." Lelouch drawled with the same lazy tone, "The time of pirates is long over, with the rising number of mages in the world, and the increasingly hostile response from the countries in Ishgar. They are about to turn themselves into a shipping company."

"How would you know-" Zeref came to a sudden halt as realisation dawned upon him, "You're behind it all…"

"My little side project." He nodded with a smile. "It took some very convincing persuasions, a handful of magic and a bit of blood to acquire their submission."

"What kind of project that involve pirates?" Zeref asked incredulously.

He let go of the scroll of paper, and let the wind carry it to Zeref's hand. The mage's brow rose as his eyes scanned the parchment.

"I'm founding a Merchant Republic in Ishgar." Lelouch said casually, as if he's just brewing another cup of tea. "Every merchant guild in Sin, Enca and Midi are about to unite into a single entity, the Austellus Merchant Guild. I have spent years building up my influence in the Pergrande Kingdom, entrenching myself in their political network. With their backing, I will dominate the southern trade routes after I reform the pirates, and overthrow the stagnant Monarchy in Enca, Sin and Midi."

"Aren't you satisfied with our living conditions?"

"I will not rely on Alvarez's coffer if I can help it." Lelouch smiled, "Besides, it helps passing the time. You are building an Empire simply out of boredom after all."

Zeref sighed, it is not as if he can deny the fact and dissuade Lelouch from the notion. It's just that the model which Lelouch design his guild in the parchment is eerily similar to the British East India Company, with Pergrande Kingdom as the royal backing. Including the intimidation, extortion and oppression part that are, no doubt, about to come for the supremacy over the trade routes.

"How will you convince the countries in the region to hand over it all to you?"

"I have the largest fleet in the entire continent, loyal to me after I offer them a chance make a living after their… profession become obsolete." Lelouch's smile widened, "I won't even need to lift a finger, Bellum wouldn't dare to resist the giant next door. A letter here and there to the rotten nobles in Desierto to offer a piece of the cake, and there is only Minstrel left."

"They won't oppose you, because by doing so, they will gain the ire of Pergrande and risk destabilisation of the entire continent." Zeref frowned, "It's not worth it in their eyes, when they have the entire west coast to themselves. There are much to loss and many to gain in cooperating with you."

"Don't look so grim." Lelouch waved his hand dismissively, "It is not as if I am taking away lives with magic you've taught me, or starving thousands for my own greed. Uneven trade treaties would only last as long as I need it."

"When?"

' _Good grief'_ He rolled his eyes.

This world has yet to realise the potential of steam machinery and coal. The Austellus Merchant Guild would industrialise the republic early, with the ridiculous cheap price of coal, the massive reserve of iron in Pergrande and his, undeniably unfair, knowledge from his world. It would only be a matter of time until the guild became the main manufacturer of consumer goods, while those within his sphere of influence would become the main providers of raw materials.

The Workshop of the World.

...now, where'd he heard that before?

Not to mention, there are rare resources that only the southernmost part of Ishgar can cultivated. Enca, Sin and Midi will give him a monopoly over silk, dye and tropical woods. With them, the most luxurious clothing and furniture that the overprivileged nobles in Ishgar lusted after will be under his control.

"When the annual revenue of the guild reached nine hundred million Jewels."

"That's twice Alvarez's tax revenue." Zeref mumbled with shock, he has yet to conquer the entirety of the western continent, but still-

"Your empire isn't dedicated to making money." Lelouch dismissed the comparison, "Anyhow, it will take at least two decades after the guild established itself. Then, there will only be so much land and labour at my disposal, our growth will slow down, and I have no intention to conquer more."

"No, you are content draining the wealth of the world from your corner of the map." Zeref shook his head, they haven't account for buildings, ships maintenance, along with administrative cost and wages, not to mention dividing the wealth among the patricians and nobles of the guild. Still, traditions of merchant guilds dictate that a tenth of what remains of the revenue after all that are to go to the founder, then the rest to the guild's coffer.

Lelouch will become affluent.

Very, _very_ affluent.

"I am simply founding the guild." Lelouch's nonchalant smile returned, "It's still a Merchant _Republic_ , I will eventually give up my ruling mandate, and leave the responsibility of maintaining and expanding the guild to another. I have no intention to forfeit my freedom, and chain myself down, and so do you."

"As if." The mage scoffed softly, "I can imagine you revealing your immortality and power to the ruling oligarchy of this Austellus guild. Grant them a taste of wealth and power, give them an illusion that they are greater than what they truly are. Their loyalty to you will be absolute, it matters little who they elect amongst themselves, they will all answer to you, so will the generations after them."

"We both have grown bored of this tranquility, surely you would not let me stay to rot while you enjoy your fun alone?"

"No, I would not. It's just that-"

"It's settled then!" Lelouch cut him off, "You will leave tomorrow, as will I. We shall convene again in… eight years?"

"That's a very long time." Zeref frowned.

"On the contrary, you shall find time passed very quick once you sufficiently put enough devotion into nation building."

"I will respect your decision." The mage conceded, "I can only hope that time would pass by as quick as you believed it would."

"I hope so, too." Lelouch nodded gravely. _'I dearly hope that my estimation is correct, and you would not meet Mavis before I do, before her time is fully spent.'_


	4. Chapter 3

**X696**

 **Fiore**

It's a sunny, pleasant day in Fiore, a country blessed with temperate climate.

Although, the forest beneath the blue sky, the one Zeref is moving through, is one of those places which have no palpable reason to exist. The unnatural mist that swirled and sprawled on the forest floor spoke of a strange sort of wrongness. The white substance seemed to possess liquid properties. The smoke made no sound, and only parted to swallow up his feet as he marched through the forest. There were whispers of dead leaves under the mist that reminded him of what atrocities he had done to nature. The forest that was so alive moment ago now chills him, the trees are now no more than lifeless sticks of charcoal.

It's been six years since they parted, and time really did pass by quickly, when he'd spent it all in Alakitasia. Yet, Ishgar never fail to remind him that he is not welcome here every time he returned. Without Lelouch here to subdue the curse, it is just the same as before, the world would reject him as it always did.

He should've listened to Lelouch, and remains in Alakitasia, until they convene again, but there are things that Ishgar have that he has been searching for over hundreds of years.

Acceptance.

Zeref let out a sigh when he'd spotted the slim ray of sunlight from the edge of the forest. His tense body relaxed as the black curse faded away, sparing him a moment of relief as he strode away from his wretched destruction.

Imagine his shock, when he ran into the person he least expected to meet the moment he made his exit.

A genuinely sweet smile greeted him, sending a wave of unexpected warmth rushing through his body. "The Black Wizard from back then!"

"Mavis..." He whispered numbly.

With all of her distinctive childish quality, she made a run toward him with a resounding _'yay'_.

"Wa-wait! You remember my curse, don't you?"

"Of course!"

Further protest died in his throat, when she wrapped her arms around his body.

"It was because of you that we won." She said happily, "It was because of you that I was able to save my friends."

It was then, that the moment he took in her unchanging lithe frame, that he noticed it. A sense of dread began to rise within him.

* * *

 **Enca**

"Human children are perfectly sized for some of the slimmer crevices in our mines. And I think about this."

"Aiken, child labour is not a productive use of the workforce." Lelouch said in a monotonous tone, shuffling through the documents. "I prefer healthy adults, literate and alive as my workers. A long-term growth far outweighs your suggestion."

"Why, I must disagree, I find it very profitable-"

"There's the matter of cultural difference, the High Council find the use of children quite appalling."

"You humans." Came a high-pitched scoff.

Lelouch sighed, taking his eyes off the documents, turning to the voice. "We had this conversation before, Aiken. You are a mouse..."

On his table, stood the most dignified mouse in the known world. Soft snow fur, a pair of large ear, a pair of pristine black orb, triangular head, and a narrow, small muzzle. There's also the monocle, the top hat, and a luxurious black suit that covered its four centimetres body.

This is Aiken, a diamond tycoon, and one of the founders of the Austellus Merchant Guild.

"...I do pity the poor sod that had mistaken you for a rat."

Aiken's long, thin tail curled around his body as he continues to grumble in annoyance.

"Tea?" Lelouch offered, a tray of tea and assortment of sweets floating toward him as he speaks.

"No milk."

How could a mouse speak, and became the most powerful figure in the Austellus' mining industry?

Well…

"Tch, do not give me that condescending look." An annoyed squeak snapped at him.

"Are you sure you hadn't ought to rethink your behaviour?"

"It's truly astounding how many ways you find to waste our coins."

"Coins which you would not have, had I been elsewhere."

"Safety regulations, minimum wages, free medical services, public schools..." The little tycoon ranted rapidly, "It pains me every time the thought crossed my mind."

Lelouch sipped his tea calmly, then propped himself up, taking a step toward the window. Aiken appeared on his shoulder with a nonchalant pop, still looking miffed.

"Our people are our assets, cogs in a machine." He began, "Their well-being and education are necessities, even if we care little for benevolence and kindness. Three out of ten people could read in Ishgar, whilst within Austellus' territory that number is eight. Soon, the blunder of illiteracy will be eliminated, along with it ignorance and stupidity."

"Skilled, efficient and intelligent they might become, but what use is that if they grow complacent and idle with all their needs cared for?"

The luxurious, silky curtains swept open with a wave of his hand, where the sequin-silver stars like scattered embers of a dying fire illuminate the inky sky. "Have you noticed any oddities among the oligarchy that run this republic?"

Aiken paused for a good while, "We utilise a different language, hold exceedingly radical ideas from the norm than most nations in Ishgar."

"Radical for this world, yes." He replied evenly, Aiken has proven itself a clever and shrewd creature, unlike the mindless beasts born from Zeref's power.

"You intend to incorporate the culture and values of your world to the republic's."

"Perhaps not to that extent, but that is my intention." confirmed Lelouch, "The civilisations of this world pale in comparison to mine. I would pluck the best part of the civilisations I am familiar with, East Asian, European and Britannian, for the republic. I am crafting an identity that is distinct from Earth Land."

"Their drive won't be their individual needs, but their shared identity?" The rodent mused.

"From commerce, industry, science, magic, art, music to cuisine and culture. Excellence, mastery and superiority will be expected of us, it will become natural to associate the Republic and its citizens with brilliance. Our navy will rule the waves, our army the most disciplined, our workers the most productive…"

"I see."

"So, do shut up about our investments in our denizens."

Aiken's eyes twitched, "And there's this absurd rumour that you would step down two years from now-"

"It's true." He spared a brief glance to the cofounder, "What of it?"

"I am not at all concerned by it, regardless of how impolitic it may be, leaving seven years early..." muttered Aiken irritably, "…not that it matters whether you hold a seat on the High Council or not. The question is, where will you go?"

"Wherever I fancy."

"Give a proper answer, wherever you go, I have to follow."

"Couldn't you stay here and enjoy the fruit of our labour?" Lelouch smiled, "I'd wager that you prefer it over anything else."

"Did you already forget?" The mouse raised a brow, "You infused me, with, god forbid, the same runes Zeref bloody Dragneel created his demons. I cannot leave your side, otherwise-"

"Ah." He shook his head in disappointment, "I had expected so much more."

Aiken twitched in wordless outrage, before a stream of profanity and curse exploded at him a moment later, although he couldn't really make out much of it with the high-pitched squeaking.

Aiken is a product of curiosity and was nothing more than a rodent on a pirate's ship years ago. The prospect of creating life was fascinating to him then, seeing what Zeref is capable of. It became apparent soon enough however, that such ability is reserved for Zeref alone, who spent his whole life to research sequences and patterns of Ethernano and brought them together. His effort enables him to create life, and Zeref paid dearly for it.

Still, the deterrence was not powerful enough. He had given up on creating life, but he desired a particular part of the spell, the part which bring consciousness to an animal, an object. Who wouldn't want a kettle that boils itself, or a clock that wakes one up gently instead of ringing maddeningly?

He didn't know however, whether toying around with a potentially dangerous and powerful spell would bring fourth the apocalypse by messing with the law of the universe or not, but he did it anyway. Perhaps this is why humans are so dangerous, attempting to control what they know not.

Then again, who wouldn't hesitate before opening the gate to Armageddon?

Naturally, he needed a test subject, a lab rat, literally.

He hadn't given much thought, and simply plucked a mouse off an old ship and write down the magic glyphs. He had poured quite a bit of power into the spell, leaving him exhausted for days, and lo and behold, when the foul-mouthed language of a sailor came crashing down on him from the mouse. It was a bit peeved by what he had done, and somehow created a maelstrom just right out of the dock. Even now he is still unsure as to what the mouse is fully capable of.

Perhaps he should've cut the _'granting incredibly destructive power'_ part out of the runes, too.

* * *

"Zeref!?" asked Mavis incredulously, "The infamous Zeref, that's who you really are!?"

He gave a strained smile, "Yes, that's why I didn't want to tell you my name."

There is an inkling of suspicion that prods at him, urging him to get right onto addressing the matter. However, rushing it without context would only serve to panic Mavis.

"There are rumours that say you've been living for over 300 years..." She hesitated to finish the question, "Um... Is that..."

"It has really been that long, hasn't it?" Zeref chuckled.

"You're nothing like the rumours say."

"If it's bad rumour, they are probably true."

"No..." She smiled at him brightly, her emerald orbs were almost radiant, "Your eyes are so kind, I don't believe any of it. Not one bit."

Zeref heart jumped, a foreign warmth spreading about within his body. He mustered a smile of his own, "You are far too innocent."

It felt nice. It's been so long since the last time he'd felt anything that resemble this feeling that he struggled to find any other word than _nice_. He had forgotten what the word even means, and what it feels like to receive a smile like this.

His one and only friend rarely smile, and when he does, it is simply out of courtesy, an empty one. The only moments that Lelouch ever shown any true contentment at all, is in the form of his condescending smirk.

Now that he'd mentioned it...

"Did Lelouch visit you after your battle, Mavis?"

"He did..." Mavis, oddly, simply look puzzled. She then pulled out a tiny hourglass, "It was just right before Fairy Tail was founded. He gave me this, he said it's for measuring time, but there should be more than just that."

"Did you manage to find out anything else?" Zeref narrowed his eyes at the runes carved onto it. Elegant, cursive and overly complicated.

Mavis pouted, "All I could find out is that it can shrink and enlarge to whichever size the holder prefers."

The Dark Mage stared at it for a long while, and he is certain now that this is Lelouch's work.

Runes in one in many aspects of magic that Lelouch took a liking to, because it requires little physical effort to make use of it. His designs are always veiled in many layers, as to hide the true purpose of the runes, and his uncanny mastery over the flow of Ethernano allows him to over-engineered it all without repercussion.

Still, he was the one who tutored Lelouch in this particular art.

"This series of runes are of Mildian origin, its purpose is to measure the lifespan of its owner." Zeref mumbled, his voice dry. "The sand will disappear gradually, until there is nothing left."

"It's been 10 years since I received it...?" Mavis tilted her head questioningly, "The sand's still the same."

"You've stopped growing since you used Law, haven't you?" The mage said, his suspicions confirmed, "You've become... ageless and immortal. Just like me."

"Wha-?" asked Mavis, her eyes wide.

"You made a life-or-death choice using Law, given the circumstances at the time." Zeref continued, "You defied the same god that cursed me, and bring back the soul that is meant to be his. This is the curse of Ankhseram, the more you hold life precious, the more..."

"That's not true!" Mavis protested. Yuri was still alive when the Jade consumed him, he's not-

Her eyes widened, _'I don't know whether he was alive or not back then...'_

"I... the people around me are fine!" She muttered, voice trembling, "No one has... died."

"For now, yes, that may be true, but..." Zeref mused, "Right, there was a war that ended just recently. War dulls one's ethical and moral attitude towards life. Because of the war, your attitude towards the living is currently in flux."

"That's... No way!" She was all but shouted.

"You are yet unaware of the true preciousness of life." He pressed on, the earlier she realises her fate the better, "And the day you become aware of it, those around you will begin to disappear."

Sweat started streaming down her face, her body shaking as though the harsh winter of Pergrande has swallowed her whole. "Lelouch..."

"He knows." The Dark Mage gave her a gaze full of sympathy and sadness, "I had an inkling, hearing that you'd used Law. Lelouch dissuaded me from contacting you, perhaps he did not want you to discover your curse so soon."

"Why do you say such terrible things..."

"Because that is the truth."

She bit her lips, "I... I thought you..."

With a blank smile worthy of Lelouch's, Zeref replied, "Have you come to understand just how accurate those rumours are now?"

Mavis had enough right then, fleeing away from the mage tearfully.

 _'It's not true!'_ She thought, anger seeping into her, _'I will not believe a single word!'_

 _"You are yet unaware of the true preciousness of life."_

 _'No! Life is precious! To be treasured! I know this!'_ The thoughts rang in her mind as she fled through Magnolia, _'I am fully aware! I know exactly how precious the lives of my beloved friends are…'_

* * *

"Pull out his nail."

The order was accompanied with a maddening screech. Blood began dripping down the man's finger, onto the damp floor. The figure heaved, his chalky face gaunt.

"One stubborn cunt, aren't you?" The shadowed figure flashed a ghost of a smile. "Another."

There was a small clank as the tool squeezed down, the metal was heavy, and cold. The pull was nothing more than a sudden jerk, and the man felt nothing more than a paralysing jolt of electric at the tip of his finger, no, the worse part came right after. The scream was the sort that send a shiver down one's spine, it had a raw quality, a realness of a person consumed in pain, echoing down the dark, cold, empty hallway.

"Another."

"S-stop! I'll tell you everything, just-"

"You could've just screamed out the answer instead of begging. A waste of my fucking time… Now, where is it?"

"There's an uninhabited island north of Enca, a day of sailing if the wind is favourable, my accomplices..." The man uttered weakly, panting. "...they're hiding there, in a cavern on the western edge of the island."

"All this hassle over some spies..."

The figure's hand, hovering over its pocket mere seconds ago, disappeared. With a flash of steel, it shoved a dagger into the man's eyes.

Another figure emerged from behind the corpse. "Now, which one of us is going to tell the young master that we'd let one of the Magic Council's dog slipped into the island, into Glacius, at the heart of the city no less?"

"We did find where the rest is hiding, we'll be fine."

"Not when you interrupt him while he's bedding daughters of those fancy Lords from Minstrel."

"Networking he said." Came an audible sigh. "Right, rock paper scissors. Whoever loses will report to Walsingham. It won't be nice, it won't be pleasant, but much nicer than what you might get from the young master."

"Fine, fine, get on with it."

* * *

"Come in, Walsingham."

The double door creaked open, and the hooded figure strode in. His eyes swept the room, immaculate mat lining the floor, hanging chandelier glowing dimly. The couch is inlaid with a fine green silk; leaves embroidered so delicately that they might have landed there in spring and just sunk in. He's afraid to even sit in case he wrinkled the fabric. The white curtains are linen, its colour white, devoid of dust.

As his sight set on the bed, in the centre of it all, he came to a sudden halt, frozen in his steps.

"Chairman." He bowed, eyes glancing at the dried blood, a knife embedded through the blanket, a slender arm hanging loosely in the air by the side of the mattress.

"Pity, I enjoyed her company."

"I see that we've missed the second one." He straightened himself, peering at his master. Wrapped in a bathing robe, seated by the window, sipping at the glass of wine, unfazed of it all.

"I wonder how successful they were in their attempt on Zeref." Lelouch mused, letting out a mirthless chuckle.

"They aren't here for you." He replied, shuffling about the floor, his face obscured by an ethereal veil of darkness. "Humans fear the unknown. It has been six years since the formation of the Republic, and we're a dark spot on the map of the Magic Council. There are no mage guilds, legal or otherwise, within the territory of the Republic. We have been expecting their arrival for some time now."

With a quiet squeak, an armchair slid into place, facing his seat, pushed by an invisible force.

Helping himself to the seat, he accepted the glass offered to him with a curt nod. "You should stop bringing every attractive wench you see into your bed, it's dangerous."

"Blame the tedium of winter nights." Lelouch muttered, his eyes growing glassy, "Isn't it useful? All I have to do is utter a few soft words and share their bed to have them wound around my finger."

"Few can match you in deceit and deception, you're learning the art of seduction well…"

"It was a much simpler affair, bringing ruins to those who once ruled this land, and navigating the rotten aristocracy with such tools." Lelouch nodded.

"…little by little, you will reach the point where you can no longer tell which face you were wearing."

The young master fell silent, and he continued.

"Deceive others and yourself, eventually you will lose sight of your real self. As time pass by, you won't be able to remember what your feelings for someone are sincere or you are faking them."

"It's unsettling when a spy like you get all philosophical." Came a snide remark, to which he simply chuckled in response. "My agents are getting sloppy, she uncovered quite a bit, and had most of the documents delivered to her accomplices as well."

Always speaking with such certainty, as though he already knew it all… not that he was ever wrong.

"Not at all, they are sending the best they've got. They are getting impatient, after the fourth group have gone silent. After this attempt, they'll stop, they can't afford to waste talented mages for espionage operations in which they are hopelessly outmatched."

"Ah, I've never doubted the capabilities of your network of spies and the expertise of those under your employ." Lelouch returned assuredly, "It must be bizarre for them."

He nodded. "Every mage is under the Republic's employ, and the nature of their work isn't strictly combat. They accept no quests, their generous salaries paid for by the Republic."

"Any fool with half a mind could see the usage of magic goes far beyond combat." Lelouch scoffed, "The quest and reward system are horribly inefficient, any combat-oriented mages would serve in the navy and the army directly. I will not have precious time wasted waiting for mages scraping off papers on a wall, any problem will be dealt with quickly and decisively by the armed force."

"Magic will be molded to be a weapon for one to wield, it is inevitable. Every mage in the world relies on their power to feed themselves, and the quests they've got are mostly violence jobs." Walsingham tilted the glass, and the red liquid seemingly disappeared into the pit of darkness.

"There lies the problem, the segregation of mages from the society at large. Our mages choose their own path, they are where they are out of their own accord. Wielding magic over earth doesn't necessitates one to weaponize such power, they could choose to use it for plowing fields for all I care. They are citizens of the Republic, no different than any other."

Cloaked and hooded, Walsingham simply stared.

Magic have always been an exceptional thing, only one in ten people in the world may possess such a gift. It is only natural, for one to join a guild upon the discovery of their unusual talent. It is more prestigious, more rewarding, to be a mage of a guild than a farmer.

Such system often breeds complacent, for example, it became the norm for a merchant to save a part of his funds in order to employ mages for protection against banditry and other mages. It is the duty of the Kingdoms of Ishgar to ensure order and safety along the roads within their territory for the people, they have failed. The status quo also drives mages to injuries and death, engaging in perilous jobs to earn their living. One could theoretically survive with menial tasks, most simply chose not to. Violence upon violence…

Such was never the case for the Republic, where magic is beginning to become normality under Chairman Lelouch vi Britannia. Every professions are valued, from the clerks seated in an office to the cleaner sweeping the streets. Mages and magic is nothing more than another cog in the machine that further the Republic's agenda, they are no more exceptional than the farmers on the fields or the artisans in their workshops, and they will be treated no better or worse. One can see mages in every profession, utilising their powers in myriads of ways.

The order is kept not by hired mages but a professional peacekeeper force, paid and trained by the Republic, armed with experimental armours and weapons, enchanted with runes that shrug off and pierce all but A-Class Mages' attacks and defences. Expensive certainly, but the Republic can afford it. The force is small, but none can deny their effectiveness. In time, they will grow larger, their weapons and armours perfected, their trainings more effective.

As of now, the Magic Council claimed governance over all mages and is responsible for all events caused by mages. They are supported by most country in Ishgar, and their legitimacy is unquestioned. They have lost control over Enca, Midi and Sin, during the chaos in which the Republic was born. The Magic Council cannot force their way in and violate the sovereignty of a country, unless they were invited, or have the justification such as preventing dangerous mage outbreak by stepping in to keep the peace. So far, they have none, not because there isn't any, accidents happen all the time. For example, the existence of an entity known as Aiken.

Then there's Verdigris, Sablier, Enra… the other… accidents.

The Republic, while far from a utopia, is one in the making. Its existence is an anomaly that would attract unwanted attention, and it is his duty, their duty, to cloak it with shadows, to deceive the eyes of Ishgar until the High Council deemed it the right time to reveal itself to the world.

"How are you faring with your new form?" queried Lelouch.

"I can move, see, listen, speak and kill, that is sufficient. A dead man can ask for no more."

"I've invested a great deal of time in keeping your sense of taste intact."

"...I don't think it is necessary at all, I am grateful for the gesture-"

"Live to eat, not the other way around." said Lelouch sharply, "I trust you have discovered their location?"

It is an eerie sight, if not for the gloved fingers and silent steps of the leather boots, one would think the chairman was speaking to a floating cloak.

"I will wipe the rest out before the sun rises."

"I'll handle it myself." He stood up, the outfit of Julius Kingsley manifested from thin air with a snap of his fingers. "Might I trouble you with the corpse?"

Walsingham scribbled on a piece of paper, giving a knowing nod as he passes the note.

"There's another bottle inside the cabinet, help yourself."

"Gladly."

* * *

Ocean waves rolled in long and white fringed. He could make out the damp sand as the tides retreat into the endless blue sea. Behind the sand a think jungle, overhanging branches of the trees hid all behind an impenetrable wall of green, stretching as far as he could see.

He opened a compass, turning toward the west, and began strolling, his pace steady and relaxed.

"Four in the fucking morning…"

"Don't whine." Lelouch gave a light yawn, his eyes casted to the horizon, his attention held by a golden streak, piercing the charcoal sky.

"Well, hurry up then." The bundle of white let out a tired, sluggish voice, "We can't keep my storm going forever, do you know how many ships will be stuck in the port? It's bad for business. Why do we even need a storm anyway?"

"Your artificial storm disrupts the flow of magic. It would be an inconvenience if whatever they uncover somehow make its way into the Magic Council's hand. Thought projection or any sort of long distance communications, I won't risk it."

"I could keep this up in my bed." mumbled Aiken. "You could've sent that shady ghost."

"Now, don't you want to handle the utter wankstains that got us both out of bed yourself?"

"…no."

"Don't be slothful."

"Says who?"

He stopped, tapping into the air with his cane, sending a ripple through the veil of magic, before stepping through a barrier unobstructed. Humming absently, he made his way through the sand, into the jagged shore, the rocky outcrops where they meet the rushing waves. The water washed right through, as though he wasn't there, his body a ghostly apparition, and no sound accompanied his footsteps. Silently, he strode further inland, toward two silhouettes laying in the sand, snoring away, unaware of their doom.

In one swift motion, he pulled out the firearm he'd kept since the departure of his world. The runes on the barrel glowed with a shimmering black colour as he pulled the trigger, sending forth a bullet formed from the thirsting void of darkness, silent as the still wind. Whipping to the other, he pulled the trigger once again, spilling blood, splattering the sand with red.

"I want éclairs for breakfast." Aiken flopped down on his shoulder, peering at the cave resting against the rocky cliff.

"Prosciutto and grissini." He stopped speaking for a split second, continuing before the mouse protest, "…I'll get you a panna cotta with coulis instead."

"Reasonable."

* * *

Mavis smiled, her eyes on Yuri, the excitement that poured out him like sunshine through fine white linen. The smile that cracked his face hadn't been seen since the Second Trade War ended.

"He's perfect, Rita." Yuri beamed, he felt the urge to cry as he watches his new-born son, listening to his quiet, even breaths. His wife returned a loving smile, captivated by the child in her arms.

"I don't see why she had to give birth inside the guild hall." A fellow member commented.

"What can I say?" Yuri smiled, "Rita had her heart set on it."

"He should be here, stepping into the world and grows up with the love of everyone…" Rita panted silently, turning to Mavis, "We were hoping you'd name him, Master."

"Wh-what?! Me?!" Mavis stuttered.

Yuri simply nodded with a reassuring look.

"You can't leave it to us, we got nothin'!" Warrod said helplessly, his hand covering Precht's mouth.

With that, her attention returned to the new-born, snoozing away in his mother's embrace. She felt a strange sense of comfort that calmed her heart, sweeping away all the worries in her heart.

"Makarov." She spoke with absolute certainty, "It's from a book I read, the name belongs to a kind king."

"A good name." Rita agreed, sweat streaming down her tired face.

"Makarov!" Yuri repeated, lifting the child up into the air.

"Makarov then!" declared Warrod, and the child beamed as though in agreement, "From now on, your name is Makarov!"

"For the sake of his future…" Rita murmured, her voice growing quiet, her eyes closed "…we'll…"

"Yes." Mavis took Rita's hand in a tight grip, "We all will join hands for hi-"

Mavis eyes widened, the words stuck in her throat as the warmth of life were sucked out of Rita's hand. Her arm loosened as it fell, her body sank into the bed she lay upon, the sound of her low breath absent. The celebration died out, as shock painted their faces.

"Rita!" shouted Yuri, his happiness robbed by pure terror, "Hey, what's wrong?!"

"The delivery took too much out of her!"

"What!? She was fine a moment ago!"

' _When you finally learn the true value of life, that it cannot be replaced…'_

Her body trembled as Zeref's voice echoed in her mind, amidst their shouting and helpless cries for the woman long gone.

'… _that is when the lives around you will be snuffed out.'_

A foreign coldness seeps into her very core, her heart raced as dread filled the air. She could feel the jolts of pain in her chest as their tears dripped down the wooden floor.

Unable to bear it any longer, she fled.

Through the buildings, the paved road, the forest, she ran, her mind numbed. She fell to the ground, tripped over a root. She could see the green grass withered away, the flower petals blackened in the sunlight.

"No…" She choked, "Stop it…"

Her cries gone unnoticed as death comes to take its due, grasping at the trees, the leaves, the grasses, the animals that wandered too close, snatching it all away.

Far away, seated upon the desk of Fairy Tail's master, stands an hourglass. The colourful sand withered into the colour of ash, fading away. The symbols carved into the wooden stand glowed an eerie purple and turned black.

* * *

"Oi." Aiken called out, his head perked up, "What was that?"

Violent crashing waves pounded the rocky shoreline, the sea grew restless as the residue of ethernano swirled about the air. Where the cavern and the rocky cliff once was, is now a steep precipice

"I changed my mind." Lelouch flipped a pocket watch opened, the ticking hands stopped dead in its track. The cracks that rend the air in front of him receded as power drew back into the steel raven on his cane. "We leave for Fiore today."

"You are making that face again, when things don't go your way." Aiken smirked. The one that uplifted him into a higher form of being always have the penchant for precisions and plans. The steps he took were always meticulously planned and purposeful, he can count on one hand occasions where things have spiralled out Lelouch's control, where even his precaution plans weaved beneath also failed him.

For how often Lelouch lamented the absence of worthy opponents, intellectually or otherwise, and how sure he is of himself, it's truly entertaining watching him thrashing around when he'd failed himself.

He relaxed himself, leaning back, his eyes closed in anticipation of that uncomfortable squeeze whilst they squeezed through space toward Fiore.

Seconds turned into minutes, and minutes turned into- what the actual fuck, it shouldn't take this long.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" He opened his eyes, throwing his partner a glance full of irritation.

Waking up so soon is already bad enough, and now his stomach is rumbling. Neither of them has time for this, imagine the coins spilling down the drain in the absence of his presence in the office!

"Zeref." cursed Lelouch, the magic glyph beneath his feet glowed for a split moment, before sizzling away. "There's a veil of magic…"

"Impressive." He whistled, his smirk widening into a grin, "No one has ever managed to stop you from ripping open time and space before, your field of expertise-"

"It's not that I couldn't do it." Lelouch interjected, scowling. The raven's eyes gleamed with a spark of green, and the reality split itself before their eyes. The insignia of Fairy Tail clearly seen from the other side. "I just can't step through."

Growing impatient, he hopped down from Lelouch's shoulder, the wind easing his way as he floats down. He strolled toward the gap, pushing his arms through as one would an open window. Sensing no resistance, he jumped, only to be repulsed by some sort of force field, throwing him away a good ten meters.

"Fucking arsestain! What sort of cockwomble-"

"Zeref must've prepared magic glyphs around Ishgar in anticipation of my possible interference of… whatever he might plan to do."

"Likely." Growling, Aiken dusted himself off, "I can't imagine the Dark Mage keeping this up forever on his own. Why don't you tell the magic to bugger off with your eyes?"

"Magic possesses a primitive consciousness can, to an extent, understand and be controlled through the will of their maker and reacts to their emotion." Lelouch explained coolly, "My Geass' commands can only be carried out if it is comprehended, and to override the original direction of a seal or someone else's, the commands I must give will prove too complex for that primitive consciousness' comprehension. Much like how a bird, or a cat, cannot understand me, therefore unaffected by my Geass."

"Suppose someone throw a fireball your way, can you turn it back at the source? The magic's done belonging to the mage that flung it after all, gone from their grasp."

"I can't break the bloody laws of physics." Lelouch said incredulously, "Just because I can give the command doesn't mean it can always be carried out. Shall I throw you into the sea and tell you to stop mid-flight?"

"Can always break it with magic." shrugged Aiken. "I suppose you'll need your own magic for that, or magic that belongs to no one or the one that received no order, leaking out of a mage that doesn't know how to control it."

"Quite, my Geass offer complete control over what magic I possess and little else. Convenient, but by no means dominant."

"How long does the seal stretch? You have been testing it out while I wait."

"From the tip of Pergrande to the southern coast of Midi."

It's impractical searching for all the glyphs scattered around Ishgar in hope of lifting this barrier. The convenience of teleportation as a mean of travel is no longer available, which means…

"What a shame." He turned his back on the gap, strolling toward the chairman, face blank, "Forget Fiore, 'tis a silly place."

"We'll have to sail there."

Dread crept up his face as he looked upon the frowning Lelouch. "It'll take at least three months from Midi! Three months! We can't spare three months! The economy!"

"Verdigris." Lelouch whispered, the silver ring in the shape of a serpent rested around his pinky finger swirled to life, its eyes glowing a shade of green, much like the raven on top of his cane. It hissed, eyeing him expectantly, to which he handed a piece of paper, "Take this to Walsingham."

Biting softly to keep the tiny scroll between its jaw, the snake slithered away into his shadow, disappeared without a trace.

"Creepy fuck." Aiken swore, pushing himself from the pebble he'd pressed himself against. "Couldn't you choose something cuter for your third pet? Like me."

"Still nervous around him?" He raised a brow mockingly, "I suppose it's only natural for you to fear your predator."

"F-fear? That cold blooded reptile?" The rodent scoffed, his countenance then turned serious, "You intend to summon all five?"

"We need to get our affairs in order before our departure." Came a curt reply. "The plans I have for Austellus will be carried out to the letter."

"You think they can do things on their own?"

"Those who survive long enough to learn the game tend to learn it well."

This republic's government can be summed up in a few words. Oligarchy, corporate dominions, cutthroat politics, fanatically meritocratic and elements of technocracy.

Oligarchy in the sense that the power rested in the hand of the High Council, the masses have no say in the matter. Corporate dominion in the sense that the Austellus Merchant Guild _is_ the Republic, a merchant guild that grew big enough to be considered a country. Cutthroat politics, meritocracy and a degree of technocracy ensure only the most capable are seated on the High Council.

Whilst the people live in blissful ignorance, the government that rules over their country were built with talent, blood, intrigue and cloak and dagger schemes. The councillors seated upon the chairs of power are highly capable, and so do their subordinates. The High Council does not answer to the people, nor are they beholden to a monarch. They are not elected by the citizens nor born into such position through the aristocracy.

Talent is the only thing that matters.

Democratic? No.

Fair? To a degree.

Efficient and effective? Incredibly.

Of course, with talents, comes ambitions, but the first lesson they all learn from the first step into the world of Austellus' politics, is that the Republic always take precedent. They will place the agenda of the Republic above all else, lest Walsingham's blade slit their throats in their sleep.

"At least let me get my éclair."

Lelouch tapped on the pocket watch, removing the symbols carved on it, resetting the mechanism with an audible _click_. "…they're open from 9 in the morning to 6 in the evening, we're leaving at 8 today."

The sound he'd heard was not one suitable for human's ears.

* * *

… _4 months later._

"Dead?" Lelouch repeated the word, his face betraying none of his emotions. "How?"

"She was murdered by Zeref." Precht Gaebolg, now the second Guild Master of Fairy Tail, turned away.

Impossible.

He eased himself into the chair, reaching for the cup of water on the table Mavis had spent most of her time with as the first Guild Master.

If Zeref knew how to kill one cursed by Ankhseram, he would already have offed himself.

As he predicted, Mavis fled the moment the curse was revealed to her. The moment the first life was robbed by her, the hourglass would notify him through a link with the stopwatch in his pocket. He would then make his way over and take the girl in. With time and company, she will come to accept her predicament. It will be a difficult time for Mavis, but someone full of her own conviction won't be so easily broken.

He had faith, that in time, Zeref and Mavis will find solace in each other's company. Their will would transcend the terrible fate that witless god bestowed upon them.

Letting out a deep sigh, he glanced at the empty hourglass from the corner of his eyes, placed atop a shelf, next to a picture of a smiling Mavis and her companions upon the founding of Fairy Tail.

Even if he couldn't reach Mavis first, even if Zeref had told her so thoughtlessly, he should have received a warning from the hourglass. Its consciousness was sustained by that sole purpose, he'd tied Mavis' very soul with it the moment they made contact with each other.

"Did Mavis ever shown any sort of apprehension and uneasiness before she killed someone in this guild?"

"H-how did you-" Precht shot up from his seat, his eyes narrowing, "I don't know how you came to know of Rita's death, but you will not stain my memories of Mavis with thoughtless accusation!"

"My, you are quite perturbed by that question." He smiled humourlessly, "You are aware of the curse she carries. Was it hard lying to your entire guild, keeping them in the dark?"

Precht bit his lips, slowed his breathing, returning to the visage of calm and confident he always possesses. "Just who are you? I didn't think much about the power Mavis obtained during the Tenrou Jade incident, I had my suspicions when you showed up. Then, the Black Wizard came around, dropping her corpse on my doorstep-"

"As if it wasn't already obwious enouf." Aiken remarked, his back against a jar of cookie, munching one as he speaks. Pulling in a stare full of astonishment. "The girl got her power from one of them, and we just conveniently showed up out of the blue after all those years, a short time after her death. They're acquaintances."

Snapping out of his trance, Precht grew silent, gluing his eyes to the wooden table. "She did." He mumbled after a moment.

Another sigh escaped Lelouch lips.

So, was it because she refused to believe Zeref's revelation then? No, no, the moment she found out, the curse would have activated. There shouldn't be months for Zeref to construct the massive veil that covered half of Ishgar, with him as the sole target, or tamper with the tiny tracking seal at the back of Mavis' neck.

Just where did it all go wrong? Complications with his enchantment on the hourglass? Or did he simply not understand certain aspects of that curse when Zeref explained it to him?

…or did he receive false information? He never doubted-

…

"I see."

"See what?" Aiken inquired, chugging down water from a cup as large as his own body.

"You know…" Precht bent down, hands shuffling through a stack of paper in the cabinet beneath. "Ever since the founding of Fairy Tail, Mavis had devoted all her time for us, and long before that as well. She was selfless, and always place others before herself."

He remained silent, there is no need for a respond.

"We met her on Tenrou Island, in our search for the Tenrou Jade, a relic of her people. It was stolen by a mage guild called Blue Skull before we got our hands on it. One thing leads to another, and we came upon Magnolia here, the town once ruled by that guild, dilapidated and decaying. She had no obligation nor any reason to care about the people here, yet she chose to do it anyway." Precht resurfaced, one hand holding a piece of paper, another pointed to his eyepatch, "We fought, and we lost. I lost this eye during the combat."

"How very touching." Lelouch gave a passing remark.

"I'm sure you already know what happened next." A sad smile graced the man's face, "She didn't know then, unaging, she regretted nothing. Years gone by, and as her dream of adventures remain unfulfilled, bogged down by this guild and this town, she continued her work. Not a single complaint, demanding nothing in return, there hadn't been any personal wish, but this one."

He casted a glance at the worn paper pushed toward him, a map of Ishgar, filled to the brim with lines and arrows, date and time. Crossed out, they're all crossed out, one after another as the paper age, from X686 to X695. She has given up on drafting plans of adventure a year ago.

As he drifted to the end, lines of words crossed out blackened the page, empty wishes and goals. In the middle of all the black, one line stands out with the fading blue ink, weathered by time.

' _I w nt Z and L to j in Fai y Tail!'_

"I can tell who Z might be, you must be L."

"Thank you for your time." He stood up, plucking Aiken off the table, "We shall take our leave, before your guild members return."

"Wait, I have so much to ask-"

He turned around, Geass symbol flaring in his eyes. "Wipe my existence from your mind, Zeref have no acquaintance, Mavis defeated the Tenrou Jade on her own. I never existed."

"As you wish." returned a monotonous reply to his command.

* * *

"Bubble tea…"

Paying no heed to the miserable rambling of the mouse inside his pocket, he strolled out the building, waving the door shut with a motion of his cane, and promptly begin making his way to the coffee house he hasn't visited for years.

"…cotton candy… I want some…"

Damnation, this is what he got after three months spent on that ghastly, rocking ship?

"This is what we've got after three months on that damn boat?"

And the next month scouring Fiore for Mavis…

"And a month in the wilderness, looking for a dead girl."

"Shut up." He smiled, eyes twitching, hand squeezing the mouse's body, "It's irritating."

On contrary to his expectation, Aiken simply stared, black and purple peering into each other.

"Don't blame yourself." The mouse began, its voice the most sincere he ever heard during their times together.

"Consolations from one who knows nothing…"

"But I do." Aiken huffed, crossing his tiny arms, "I am your first and most successful attempt in the field of metaphysics that deals with life, death, the beyond and all mysteries of souls. None of the following ones can talk, can they? Obnoxious twats all of them, especially that cat."

He said nothing, continuing along the paved road.

"My consciousness was a part of you, I have the memories you left unlocked, of your time here." Aiken stopped, waiting for a response, seeing none, he continued. "Her fate was entwined with the Dark Mage far before you step in. You could've told her then, and simply send her to Zeref, you did not. She had all the time you could've afforded her. With or without your involvement, even if you had intended to use her, Zeref would seek her out, latching onto the faint hope for acceptance."

"She is dead." stated Lelouch.

"For cause which none of us know." The mouse shook its head, snow fur brushing his fingers. "A regrettable outcome, regardless, it was out of your control. There was nothing to be done."

"I am well aware of all that." Lelouch rolled his eyes, much to Aiken's ire. "It's the time I've lost that I pity. Now, we could use some alcohol before we return to Enca."

"Cunt, I was being-" Aiken cut himself off, it was the first time that he caught a glimpse of that despondent and haunting look. "…nice."

Pursing his lips, Aiken made his way back into the pocket, leaving Lelouch to dwell in his own thoughts.

It didn't take long for him to reach his destination, and in front of the building, stood a familiar figure.

"Zeref." Lelouch inclined his head, hand moving toward the door of the building, he could smell the coffee beans from here.

In a blur, his arm was stopped in a tight grasp, and the town disappeared, replaced with the sounds of swaying palms and the smell of salt.

"Where are we?"

"Between Ishgar and Alakitasia, in the centre of the vast ocean."

"How did she die?" asked Lelouch absently, taking a step toward the ocean.

Zeref sent him a steady gaze, his face indifferent and neutral. "Love between those cursed by Ankhseram is a contradiction of the power that binds us. This fate of eternal suffering is our punishment for breaching the cycle of life and death. My curse overpowered the very immortality it granted and took her life."

"I see you are done grieving."

"E.N.D will proceed as planned, I will ensure that my demise is irrevocable, and awaits my death." Zeref began with a tone of finality, "You will not interfere with the plan already set in place."

He removed his eyepatch, plucking the glistening violet crystal off, "I have no intention of doing so. The words from ten years ago are no lies."

"Do you really think I would believe that?" Zeref offered him a smile that carries no emotion. "Knowing you, you will try to bring Mavis back, you might even attempt to challenge the god behind this."

"You presume correctly." Imbuing the crystal with power, he lowered it to the pocket sewed on the inner layer of his cape. Aiken's tiny arms wrapped around the crystal, and their presence, both mouse and crystal, disappeared.

"Your arrogance knows no bound." The mage chuckled. "All these times and you never change."

He spun around, smiling, "Time might slide through my fingers, ticking away through the years, decades and centuries. I can watch it drain like water in a tub, dissolve like a mirage across an unending dessert. I might change, as all do, but Lelouch vi Britannia will never fade. An exiled prince to an emperor of Britannia, I rose to ensure that the Holy Britannian Empire would be nought but lines in pages of history. Yet, I embody the ideals which Britannia were founded upon. I am its ultimate culmination of bitterness, hatred, thirsting for vengeance against the father I ended with my own hands. I am its last vestige."

"So long as you stand, the name of the empire you carry will survive."

"Quite."

"We both carry a legacy of destruction and ruination, yet yours have purpose, have meanings, and for the good of many. Mine is only senseless death and despair. The world will be a better place without me."

' _Sad'_ sounds so childish, like something flimsy, something one might cast off with a happy reflection or the smile of a friend. It is nothing of the sort. It lay dormant inside like a seed of depression, lurking beneath until the right moment to send out roots to choke hope and joy out of one's heart. It's the depth in which one struggle to return to the peak, yet, this time, the rungs might be too slippery for Zeref, too far away, or simply isn't there at all.

Lelouch's smile faded, "I too, killed my first love."

Zeref's offered no respond, but shock was evident on his countenance.

"Euphemia li Britannia, just like Mavis, a kind-hearted, naïve girl, who seek to treat all around her with respect and kindness. Born into that wicked family of mine, her light remains undamped, shining until she took her last breath. Always believed that she could change it all from within." Voice laced with sadness, Lelouch continues, "It was never an accident like yours in my mind. A foolish jest at the wrong moment, and my power tainted that pure, innocent heart. I shot her, and it remains one of the greatest burden and sin on my soul, I will never be able to forgive myself. You and I, we are not so different..."

And so, they stood there in silence, letting the warm breeze try its best to warm the cold that gripped their heart.

"…of course, I'm far more intelligent and attractive."

Zeref blinked, shaking his head at that familiar smirk that donned Lelouch's face. "Lelouch, I intend to set you into a slumber on this island, until E.N.D is here, and I depart this world, you will not wake."

"Have you got any idea how long that is? How much time will be wasted away?"

"I do-"

"I met a girl the other day, tomboyish, short-haired, tanned, energetic and exceedingly cute."

"…"

"I'll have her in my bed by the next day, how will I do that if I'm sealed away on some god-forsaken island?" Lelouch titled his head, frowning.

"Just how many have you sullied in all these years?" Zeref asked, face blank.

Lelouch's sight fell to the sand beneath, adopting a thoughtful countenance. Time passed by, and the waves rolled in and out. "Dear me." He looked up, "I've lost count."

"I can't imagine someone promiscuous like you mourned for your first love, Lelouch."

"Now, now." He waved his hand dismissively, smiling, "Don't taint the name of Lelouch vi Britannia like that, until I feel melancholic enough, you may call me Julius."

Zeref, for his part, simply stared. Like father, like son, indeed.

Lelouch sighed, "You won't change your mind."

"No."

"You must realise that I will not come quietly."

"You cannot win, Lelouch." Zeref said, arm crossed, "Don't make this more difficult than it has to, my power far outstrips yours. You might match me for a time, but you cannot keep up forever."

"If you can die, it would be an entirely different matter."

The air next to Lelouch's hand twisted and became distorted. Blood oozed down from the mirage, and Zeref narrowed his eyes. From within, he could make out what seemed to be an arm, pale and soaked with red, a black sleeve that covered the elbow…

Eyes widening, he sends forth a burst of magic, shattering the illusion around him to pieces. He could see a trail of blood on the sand, from where he stands to Lelouch, who reappeared a good fifteen steps away. Turning sharply toward his right arm, he could see it is still there, yet his sleeve was missing, and a deep cut was closing itself off. The twinge of pain paralysed his arm and sent a jolt of panic through his mind.

"W-when?"

"When you began talking about sealing me off." Lelouch threw the arm down, and it withered away, turning to dust. "It was not easy, casting it without your notice, numbing your senses and telling your mind that I was still standing here."

Zeref said nothing, a drop of sweat dripped down his face as his feet move into a battle stance. His enormous magic power, wild and random bursts that sucked life out of his surroundings now restrained and under his complete control. Standing before Lelouch, is no longer the pensive, downcast mage, but the cold-hearted Zeref spoken of in legend.

A terrible dark clarity descended over Lelouch's mind, perceiving, observing his opponent. Pure, untainted ethernano surged from his body, joining the magic in the air, waiting to carry out their master's biddings. His gloved hand clutching the cane, the steel raven and the serpent ring flashed a spark of burning emerald. Whipping his cane up, the air in front of him cracked, the raw ethernano gathered fuelled the magic in the air, funnelled into one direction. Such gigantic quantity of magic is chaotic and powerful, impossible to properly control otherwise, yet, his Geass flared, and he forced all that power through those tiny cracks. The air boomed with the splintering of space, sending forth a colossal shockwave, further reinforced by the energy gathered, soaring toward his opponent.

Dark magic erupted around Zeref, waves of black whirled into a great dome that touched the sky, then seethed across the sand with a sweep of his arm.

Black and grey collided, one seeks to consume and vanquish, the other to tear and rip. From the epicentre, magic ruptured and gave birth to another shockwave, gushing out in every direction. Carnage ensued, trees writhing and flailing, their groans of pain carried away by the vibration. From the shore to the depth of the forest, magic swept through behind the wind, flattening them all. The sands beneath, over a meter thick, were swept into the air, flung into the roaring waves and the flattened layer of green, revealing the bedrock buried deep under. The earth quakes and rumbled, sending a ripple through the sea.

To Zeref, who now surrounded himself in a protective dome, it is the most terrible sandstorm with dust that shielded all from his sight. Landing on the rocks, he waited with the assurance of his black arts, impenetrable and impervious, proven by the long centuries. A sudden look of shock dawned his face as something pierced through the dome, he felt no pain, only a tight pressure in his shoulder. Blood spilled and soaked his black garment, into the white toga. It was but a moment, before the curse of Ankhseram closed off the wound.

"Goodness, what was that look?"

Lelouch's voice was full of amusement, quiet as it is against the crushing ocean waves, stirred into a wild thrashing by the shockwave, he could hear every word. As the sand settled, he could make out Lelouch, who took no step from where he stands, that damnable smirk still on his face.

"Does it hurt?" asked Lelouch mockingly, leaning against his cane, his right hand holding the pistol, glowing with violet runes. "I imagine no one has ever come close to drawing your blood during all these centuries."

Zeref's eyes sparked a crimson colour, countless orbs molded from dark magic soared toward Lelouch. Tiny cracks of reality appeared in their trajectory, sending forward raw wave of magic with unmatched precision, ramming into the core of each orb, dissolving each other. Whilst the mini game of throw and catch that would have ended with the ultimate demise of the any other mage continues, Lelouch and Zeref were locked in combat, exchanging blows with greater magnitude. From blinding purple streak of lightnings surging forth from Lelouch's gloves to piercing bullets of darkness against the unending dark magic. With the speed of light and bullets, dodging prove an impossible task, and dark magic far too dangerous to risk taking a hit, both were forced to resort to deflections through vast concentrations of magic. Feats of unprecedented mastery over magic from a prodigy against the absolute power of the cursed mage, none can afford even a second of mishaps.

Zeref eyed the gleaming raven with narrowed eyes, he could sense the enchantments that amplify and rein in Lelouch's unstable, chaotic and powerful magic, borne from his domineering spirit and energy forcefully taken from the flow of nature. With that gone, this battle of attrition will end far sooner. The Lelouch he knows is defined by his intelligence, arrogance and pride. Physical deficient has prevented him from any serious training in close quarter combat, and his pride is an obstruction toward the correction of that weakness. His pragmatic qualities may outweigh his pride, but that hardly makes Lelouch proficient in close quarter.

With his mind made up, Zeref rushed to close the distance, his death orbs' offensive halted in favour of interference against Lelouch's offense. The move was sudden and decisive, he left no room for hesitation and pressed onward. Lelouch was taken back, pulling in his dispersed power that was sent out to deal with the orbs. Alas, the stygian blast circles, flame-like dark matter gathered in his hand, and he shattered the smaller, but sizable reserve that formed an intricate barrier, overpowered it with the enormous power at his disposal.

It was too easy, far too easy, his hand was already on the cane. He did not notice that something was terribly wrong, until the left side of Lelouch's lip tugged upwards, creating a sinister smirk on his face.

An audible _click,_ and the sound of steel sliding out of a scabbard reached his ears. It was far too late, as the steel flickered with a royal violet light, hidden in the cane's body, slashed through his toga, leaving a deep gash.

Dark Magic poured out, inverting the colour of his surroundings immobilising and freezing time. Yet, Lelouch remains unaffected, his eyes flaring a bird-shaped symbol, a crack appeared in the air between them, and he could feel his body freezing up as his magic shattered, a layer of time and dimension eclipsed his own. The sharp tip of the slim double-edged sword pierced his shoulder. With a blur, the pistol's barrel was set on his chest, and Lelouch pulled the trigger, again, again and again.

Zeref screamed, a torrent of dark magic erupted, the pillar reached so far it touched the very sky. The steel slid out of Zeref's shoulder, and the force pushed Lelouch off, skidding away a good 50 meters.

Thick and sluggish, blood flowed down like a lazy river, his life fluid drained out of him in its garish red. He could feel the bullets went through his bones, and his tendons pulled everything out of place. It burns unlike anything he had felt before, the curse of Ankhseram struggling to patch it up.

Lelouch's cape fluttered in the wind, his left arm is gone, smoke sizzling from the charred fabric on his left shoulder. He gave a hysterical laughter at the sight, falling to the ground. "Bloody hell, it is _painful_."

"Poison is a woman's weapon." Zeref spat, spitting out a bulge of blood, red, jelly-like substance instead of liquid.

"Is a man's head so inferior to a woman's that we are to be denied such a weapon?" Lelouch cursed, clutching his shoulder, emerald light of the serpent ring faded away. The last drop of venom, courtesy of Verdigris, dripped down the hidden blade.

"How did you come out unscathed in our first clash? It was as if you had disappeared from the world entirely, I couldn't sense your presence and magic at all."

"Had I mastered that before you pulled me here, you would have fared far worse."

"What is the point?" Zeref questioned, clenching his teeth in pain. "I cannot be killed, you would have driven yourself to exhaustion just like this. You've lost an arm-"

"Did you think I haven't tried slitting my own throat once or twice? That wicked man I called father left me a parting gift I hadn't discovered for a long while." Lelouch hissed, he can imagine why C.C is the way that she is. His shoulder has already gone numb. "Centuries gone by, you must've forgotten what pain feels like as the infamous Dark Mage. I simply reacquainted you with the fear of death and pain, to remind you why we shun away from such things."

"And you are the one to speak?" The dark mage scoffed, "Look at you, writhing in pain. Lelouch bloody Britannia, an untouchable Emperor, whose serious wounds only inflicted upon him in his last moments."

"As I said, you and I, we are not so different."

Zeref blinked at the remark, prompting a chuckle from both of them.

"Any last words before I seal you off?"

"I should have pulled out your finger nails, skin you alive, even drown you in a pile of manure, drug and sell you to a brothel. Something worse." Lelouch let out a long sigh, the blue sky is starting to fade, the exhaustion is setting in… "Make sure the bed is comfy, the air conditioned at 21 degrees Celsius, and-"

"…right."

* * *

 **X784**

 **Magnolia, Fiore**

"Master?" Erza pushed the door open, stepping into Fairy Tail guild master's office.

"Yes, yes." The voice of Makarov Dreyar escaped the mountain of paperwork, filled to the brim on the desk.

Erza pursed her lips disapprovingly, pulling in a seat, "You summoned me?"

"I did." The short, elderly man smiled, pushing a stack of paper aside, which promptly crashed down the floor, with papers floating in the wind. "Don't worry about it, I'm sorry for calling you up so soon, right after you dealt with Lullaby too, but this is a request from the Magic Council..."

"How odd. The Magic Council do not hold us in high regard."

"Ha!" Makarov laughed, grinning from ear to ear, "They need everyone they've got, especially when it comes to that merchant guild."

The Titania frowned, "Austellus?"

There isn't a single person on Ishgar that hasn't heard of the Republic, the only country without a king or queen, consistently ranked first in everything but population. Then, there's the conflict between the Magic Council and the Republic over authority on mages and the line of national sovereignty that stretches back for nearly a hundred years since their founding. It's not unheard of for mages, even dark mages, to flee for the Republic, away from the Magic Council's laws and rules. Save those powerful and integrated well into their society, every single one is deported right into the Magic Council's hand, or even outright killed. The two have established a mutual understanding, but it is fragile at best and nothing but a public show at worst.

Even she has to agree that the Rune Knights are a joke in comparison to the Republic's peacekeepers. This is a shameful stain on the Magic Council whose sole purpose is peacekeeping and magic regulations.

Makarov poured two cups of tea, pushing one toward Erza. "There has been sporadic burst of large dark magic somewhere far away from the ocean, much farther west of Caelum. If something that far away can ruffle the monsters under the sea and panicked the cattle-"

"I will head out right away." Erza nodded, all ready to leave.

"So hasty." Makarov shook his head, "How will you get there?"

"Ah." Came an exclamation.

"The sea belongs to Austellus, only their ships can sail far out in the ocean and survive the horrible weather and monsters out there." Makarov said, taking a sip from his cup, "Everyone who tried to venture out too far is either killed or get lost and gone missing."

"We need their help." Erza cupped her chin thoughtfully, "The _council_ need their help."

"They are trying to expand into Fiore, and bad weather along with restless monsters is bad for travelling. In return for their assistance, they ask that we allow someone from Austellus to accompany you." The Fairy Tail master donned a face full of confusion, "They are really insistent about it, I wonder why…"

"That's fine, Master." assured the scarlet mage, "There are lives at risk on the treacherous sea, including the Austellan, I'm sure they'll send someone capable."

Makarov nodded approvingly, turning toward the door, where a faint knock could be heard, "Come in, come in."

A figure strode in, cloaked and hooded with black, his steps silent and steady. "Guild Master Dreyar, Miss Scarlet." bowed the figure to each of them. "I am the representative of the Austellus Merchant Guild."

Erza stood up, offering her hand, cladded with armour to the figure. "Nice to meet you, your name is?"

The cloaked figure straightened his posture, and she was taken back. Where a face should have been, is a veil of dark mist, sprawling along the hood's opening. The thin leather glove grasped her hand, and she felt as though there was nothing but air behind it.

"You may call me Walsingham."


	5. Chapter 4

Makarov Dreyar, the third Guild Master of Fairy Tail, the most powerful guild in the Kingdom of Fiore, and one of the Ten Wizard Saints. Capable of enlarging oneself to gigantic proportions, mastery of light magic, Fairy Law, has shown weak affinity toward the elements of Fire, Wind and Ice. Immense magic power, incredibly durable, high acrobatic skills, and a master sensor.

Walsingham noted, sending a glance to the other occupant in the room, busied chatting way with the Guild Master.

Erza Scarlet, Titania of Fairy Tail, a recognised S-Class mage and an accomplished swordsman. Unprecedented mastery over Requip magic, capable of utilising any elements imbued in armour and weapon, a skilled user of telekinesis. Tremendous magic power, great agility and speed, vast physical durability, endurance and possesses incredible strength.

Perhaps Janvier's bullets? No, that won't do…

Quite a dilemma, indeed, both far too prominent to dispose, their disappearance would be too apparent.

"Walsingham?"

"A detailed report, I suspect, the Magic Council meant to have Miss Scarlet conduct an observation and nothing more. The rigid organisation is unlikely to let her do as she pleases, not before they know what the threat is."

They both blinked at him, and he gave a slight tilt of his head, "Is something wrong?"

"No, no…" Makarov smiled kindly. "I thought you weren't paying attention, it didn't seem like you did just now."

That is because he didn't, but one does not lurk in the shadow with an absent mind.

"If that is all they wanted, why do they have to send me?" frowned the Titania.

"To ensure that we, the Austellan, do not act out of place, or any sort of things that escape their notice." He replied with ease, with their motivations so obviously seen.

"The longer this goes on, it won't be just dangerous for sailors at sea, but towns and villages on the coast as well." Erza slammed the table, and he almost reached for his weapons underneath his cloak out of instinct. "Waiting for them to take their time talking is not an option!"

Makarov leaned back in his chair, "Yes, it's not unheard of for coastal settlements to come under attack from sea monsters."

Inefficiency, the one thing he loathes the most. If it were the High Council of Austellus making the decision, the mages could formulate a plan of their own should the directives given to them proved insufficient. So long as the results prove themselves, the High Command need not know of every detail on the matter at hand. This degree of freedom is enjoyed by the army and the navy as well, where independent operations will be granted so long as they serve to achieve the strategic objectives.

"Just do what you need to do, Erza." Makarov raised a finger, stopping the question that was about to come. "They never said you can't do anything but watch."

"You might get in trouble, Master."

Makarov laughed, "When was the last time I cared about their scolding?"

Erza simply shook her head, a small smile graced her face.

"Anything else you can tell us about this anomaly? I'm sure Austellans know more about the sea than we do." The elderly man whipped toward him, "The Magic Council didn't give us much to go on with, I bet they don't know anything about this themselves."

Walsingham sighed inwardly, there really is no way going about this without attracting the attention of the Magic Council. Even if the pulsing magic abruptly ends, the Magic Council could chalk it up to Austellus, that only their vessels, unlike Ishgar's primitive ships, can get so far out on the ocean, so it must be their doings.

No way out, it seems.

"It originated from the Shrouded Island, magic sensors are unable to penetrate the thick purple fog surrounding the island, and a layer of magic prevented entrance into the fog."

Makarov rubbed his temple, pouring him a cup of tea.

"We have found traces of magic similar to that of the fog, engraved in eight seals littered around Ishgar. Their destruction has enabled us to proceed inside." He took a sip of the tea, much to the fascination of the onlookers, who had been unnerved by the dark mist surrounding the hood. "Ships that enter it do not return."

To undo the seals without the Dark Mage's notice, Sablier's power was necessary, a creature born in the same way Aiken did, with power over time. Sablier would freeze the time within the area whilst Enra burnt the seals down to the ground, through the Dark Mage's power. Clean and effective, the last embers of ethernano would fade out before they could notify the Dark Mage. Yet, Enra and Sablier both would fell into a deep slumber, drained to their very core, and not wake for 11 years. Time which he has put to good use, searching for the other seals.

Hence, 8 seals, 88 years.

The first Chairman would be furious that it took so long, ah, well…

When the last seal turned to ashes was when the dark magic lurking behind the fog burst forth, but no one needs to know that.

"Sounds dangerous..." Makarov mumbled, and his voice stopped short at the sight of Titania, whose eyes sparkled in excitement.

"We will be ready to leave by tomorrow's morning." declared Erza.

"We?"

"I'll take Natsu, Gray and Lucy with me." with that said, the red-haired mage stormed off, her calls for the other members echoing down the hall.

The Guild Master sighed, sending a look full of sympathy his way. "I hope your ship can handle them."

"We'll managed." nodded Walsingham. "I've gotten used to careless tonnage of magic wandering about."

* * *

The sun poured out its brilliant light down onto Hargeon, down onto the roofs, the trickling fountain of water they sit upon. Erza could feel the summer air with each inhalation; the air so thick she could cut through it. A small gust of wind blew past her, and she could feel her skin softly shiver before returning to its warmed state.

Next to her, Natsu were giggling with excitement, hearing that this mission is unclassified, and depending on the dangers, could be his first S-Class mission. Gray has settled down with entertaining Happy and Lucy with his ice magic instead.

The Shrouded Island, it sounded like the sort of place where one would hide away their most precious possessions, their deepest secrets. She would be lying, if she said that she wasn't excited by the prospect. A mission that demands discipline and caution, it might be, but this is also something else. It is an adventure, a trip into the unknown, and the sea most certainly is the unknown to most people in Ishgar.

With a continent so large, no one ever thought of looking out to the great ocean. Even for those who might took an interest, the ocean would eat away at the ships, the woods will rot away as time passes during the long months on the sea. Iron and steel proved too heavy for the sails, and steam machineries kept together by magic would broke down without a constant maintenance like the one the trains received. Far too unreliable for use on ships and the likes. Gradually, interest was lost to the challenges at hand, and most never bothered, after all, Ishgar have everything one could ever ask for, massive as it is.

Erza looked up, and she could make out a black shade moving toward them. Walsingham seemed like a ghost, it looked as though he was almost drifting, slithering through the crowd of people. No one seemed to pay him any heed, as if he wasn't there at all. Now that she thinks about it, when he left the guild yesterday, not a single person spared him a look. His postures were well-guarded, his steps purposeful, seemingly ready to strike out from any direction, the sort of caution, if not paranoia, one would expect from one who has clashed with death far too many times.

"Miss Scarlet." He stopped in front of her, turning toward the others, "I trust you are ready?"

"Just Erza is fine." She nodded, gesturing to the stack of suitcases next to her.

"I feel that would be inappropriate."

"I insist." She brushed his concern away, nudging Natsu, who seemed to fail to take notice of Walsingham's presence.

"…very well."

"Whoa!" Natsu let out a shout, pulling in the rest of the group's attention. "Where's your face!?"

The question prompted a slap behind his head from Erza, sending him to the ground.

Walsingham looked down at Natsu, "I've lost it somewhere along the way, I'm afraid."

Gray, Lucy and Happy for their part, have gone stiff at the intimidating sight.

"I believe introductions are in order?" Walsingham turned to the others, introducing himself, and quickly jotted the names uttered into his memories.

"Shall we head out to port then?" Erza said, pulling her belongings, moving ahead as the rest scuffled to follow. "How long will it take for us to reach the island?"

"Two months, normally, perhaps a bit more." Walsingham matched her pacing, holding out his fingers, "We have Sablier with us, that makes it five days."

"Sablier?" Erza asked.

On cue, a long, distinctive _hoooo_ sound reached their ears, from the sky an owl landed on Walsingham's shoulder, its feather a brilliant white that would even make snow look grey. Its wingspan well over a meter, standing some 60cm long. It titled its head, yellow-eyed and black-beaked, peering into her.

"It's massive…" Gray muttered, failing to wrap his head around the creature he'd seen for the first time.

"And beautiful too." Lucy said, her eyes glued to the bird, and Sablier gave a slight nod, as if agreeing with her.

"What's so special about a bird, anyway?" Natsu pouted, pointing to Happy, "We already have Happy-"

The blue Exceed stared at Sablier's wings, sprouted out his own, glancing back and forth, confidence sapped from him with each turn of his head.

"A-aye…"

Erza pursed her lips, it doesn't seem like Walsingham would give them the exact details as to how Sablier can be of use. "Five days, I wonder if Natsu can handle it."

"Of course I can!"

"Hmm?" Walsingham cupped his chin, well, if there were one behind that mist. "Does he struggle with seasick and the likes?"

"All form of transports." Lucy confirmed.

"Here." Walsingham procured from his cloak a packet. "Drink this with water."

Gray eyed the packet's content, and he could make out what looked like salt, with a hue of teal. "What does it do?"

"It'll deal with nauseating sensations, easing him into the motion of a ship until he get used to it."

"Does it work?" Natsu's ears perked up, his voice a little desperate. The notion of spending five entire days on any sort of transport…

"We have been giving it to sailors who struggled with such things since the days one might associate our ships with piracy. It hasn't fail us."

"I thought it was nothing but a myth?" Lucy asked innocently, with a hint of curiosity.

"What myth?" Gray turned to Lucy questioningly, whilst Natsu snatched the packet away.

"They say that the Austellus Merchant Guild began with 17 notorious pirate captains and their fleets." Lucy began. "One day, they decided to abandon their ways, and sailed from all over the high sea to Enca. Each picked out their most prized possessions, acquired from their life of looting and robbery, as an offering to the God of the Sea, on the objects smeared their blood and within a part of their soul. Half to the God and the other half to their flagships, to eternally sail the sea. Ever since the treasures were thrown into the depths of the sea, the winds and waves are always in Austellus' favour."

"It does sounds rather far-fetched." Erza smiled, "I can't imagine pirates not rushing to kill each other for treasures, let alone working together."

Lucy grinned, "And that there are skeletons of those captains on the helm of the ships, even now."

"Every rumour has a sliver of truth." Gray pointed out promptly.

"Why, today we will be sailing with one of them."

Walsingham's jovial remark pulled in incredulous stares from all of them, save for Sablier, dozing away on his shoulder.

"You're joking." Natsu exclaimed, without his usual enthusiasm.

"I did."

"Knew it."

"Captain Howard can no longer steer the helm, so we have him hanging in his old cabin instead." That prompted another sharp turn of heads, and Walsingham nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, it's quite nice really, very nice indeed, he doesn't have to do anything anymore. With mere thoughts he can control the ship, from every strand of rope to the great sails above."

"I don't want to go anymore." Lucy said gravely and did a 180 turn, followed by Happy.

"Aye! Aye!"

Natsu's hands were already on their collars, pulling them in.

"This trip sounds fun! I'm all fired up now!" shouted Natsu, grinning ear to ear, rushing ahead toward the harbour, with his terrified friends dragged behind him.

"A cheery fellow, isn't he?"

Erza chuckled, and Gray simply sighed, lips curling up.

It didn't take long for them to catch up to the others, with them spotted by the dock, gawking at the sight. Gray and Erza were also taken back, in front of them is a ship unlike anything they have seen before.

"Ah, there it is, the _Britannia_."

With the length of 80m and a beam of 20m, the ship of the line dwarfed all the other ships in port. A hull crafted from the sturdiest wood and armoured with steel plates, enchanted with magic glyphs that lower its weight, its speed would hover around 16 up to the maximum of 22 knots depending on the wind, the sort of speed unimaginable for the ship of this size without the aid of magic. Featuring 130 68-pounder smoothbore cannons over three decks, 65 on each side, the firepower brought to bear surpasses any pitiable attempt of challenging the naval supremacy of the Republic.

"Is it even possible to sustain so many cannons with magic?" Gray inquired as they make their way toward the ship, with the other three in tow. His eyes firmly on the ship, taking in all the details.

The black-haired mage's question prompted a chuckle from Walsingham and garnered a confused look.

"No, gunpowder is what we would use."

The answer only further the confusion, and rightly so.

Gunpowder as it is known to us, never reached the level of power and lethality it did during its evolution over the centuries in our world. Earth Land is a world of magic, and the power of early gunpowder is pitiful in comparison to magic. Long, complicated reload process, horrendous accuracy and questionable piercing power, it never left its infancy state in this world. As such, the armies and navies of Ishgar still make use of swords, spears, shields and medieval weaponries to this day, even if the quality of steel is being improved as time passes, even as the level of commerce, culture and industry approaches the early Victorian era.

Calling it as such, even then, is an overestimation. Earth Land grew up with magic, and its denizens have grown accustomed to it, relying on magic on every passing steps. Even what they call guns in this world relies on magic to propel the bullets forward, and such things are exclusive to only mages that could make use of it, lacking the mechanism developed throughout the centuries. This sort of reliance has seeped into machineries, steam engines, metallurgy and chemistry, where a critical part of the developments made with human's hand and ingenuity were replaced with magic.

Magic might time to time gives birth to exceptional pieces of technology far beyond its time, such as a four-wheeled automobile, but that is all it is, exceptions. Feat of technological wonders were born not from the hand of the common people but magic and mages.

Lelouch may know of the concepts to pass such things down to the Republic, but he lacks the technicalities to truly recreates the technologies he described. The Austellus Republic have been living in the shadow of a greater civilisation and attempted to bridge centuries of gap in mere decades. Driven by the ambitions and the visions the first Chairman left behind, the High Council has pushed the Republic into a scientific renaissance, where magic and mages, whilst important, will stand alongside of the achievement of the common people, not in front of it. It has always been there, waiting for a switch to go off, much like the discovery of Greek and Roman literatures and gave Europe the cultural rebirth it needed for its ascension.

The Republic possesses the wealth needed to fund the education necessary, and has the drive needed to press on. Mass literacy and meritocracy revealed the diamonds in the rough, brilliant individuals that would otherwise be squandered away.

Commerce, culture and industrial development of the Republic are moving toward the late Victorian era, and free of magic influences. On the other hand, its army, still armed with late medieval weapons of exceptional quality, now possesses divisions with flintlock rifles with artillery technology catching up to Napoleonic cannons within the decade to come.

"Ah, well, I found the concept hard to wrap my head around years ago myself. Don't think much of it, one day Ishgar might catch up to us." Walsingham sauntered ahead, his eyes on the fluttering symbol of the Order of the Black Knight as he waited for them to take their first steps on deck. "Welcome aboard."

* * *

 _an hour later…_

"This is a lot better than what I have in mind." Erza pressed her hands down the bed, thick and irresistibly soft, like a billowing cloud.

"This cabin is really spacious." Lucy agreed, and she felt the need to shred a tear, as she looks at the cabinets on the side, the desk showering in sunlight in the middle of the two beds, with the window giving clear view of the sparkling sea ahead. This room alone is remarkably better than the one she could afford with the current rate of rents.

"I heard there's an entire deck below that serve as a large public bath as well."

"Really!?" Lucy beamed, "Where do they get the fresh water for something like that?"

"There is an entire order of enchanters that specialises in magic seals, glyphs and the likes in the Republic." Erza said, sorting her belongings as she speaks. "There are seals that are used to recycle water and for more mundane matters that improve the quality of life for their sailors during their long service on the sea."

"I have never heard of it before… the world really is a large place, huh?" The blonde-haired mage mused.

Erza inclined her head. "None of us have left Fiore before, save Gildarts, we will be the second group in Fairy Tail to do so."

Now that she thinks about it, Fiore didn't have much contact with the other nations, save for occasional trade ships from Caelum and caravans from Bosco. Fiore is a country that values neutrality, it has steered clear out of other nations' conflicts, guaranteed by the large population of mages it possesses. There is no reason why one would leave the peace afforded to them by Fiore for the neighbouring countries, which have little to offer.

"It works!" Natsu slammed the door open, oblivious to the little jump from Lucy that he caused.

"You are still standing." Erza noted.

"Let's head on deck, I want to watch the sea." Natsu grinned. "Happy and Ice Cube's waiting for us!"

And so, they left the cabin, making their way through the hallway, scaling the wooden steps up to the deck. On the deck are the Austellan crews, manning the ships, moving about in their grey trousers and white shirts. Standing officers wear an additional black, single breasted frock coat, directing orders in a language beyond their understanding.

" _Pardon me."_ A sailor called out, the crate he carries narrowly dodge out of Natsu's way.

"Was he talking to me?" Natsu pondered, watching the sailors behind him fade away amongst the others.

Lucy glanced at an officer, inspecting a crate all while speaking to another next to him. "I don't understand a single word."

"Master said that Austellan have a language of their own." Erza explained, her sight on the foremast in front of them. "They all can speak Ishgar's common tongue fluently as well."

Gray and Happy were already at the forecastle, by the bowsprit of the ship. Natsu and the others joined them at the hull, taking in the sight, full of awe.

The waves are a shade of teal, a great mirror that bounces the sunlight off and brighten the world above. Up and down, up and down, the white crested waves play a calming lullaby of the ocean against the sound of seagulls circling the masts and the murmurs of the crews on deck. The sky is clear of clouds, two shades of blue stretching all the way to the horizon, as far as the eye can see. All the sails were hoisted, catching the air and propel the ship onward. Beneath them, they could see the sea splitting itself as the ship soared ahead with the western wind bellowing behind them.

"I can't believe we're boarding a warship just to get there." Gray smiled, giving a light shake of his head at the notion. "How much did the tickets cost?"

"None, the Magic Council will handle it." replied Erza.

"Really?" Lucy found herself almost gasping. "It must be something really important for them to do that. It's rare for them to ask for mages from guilds to fulfil their requests."

"The pay must be really good then!" Natsu grinned.

"Starting with three million jewels, it could go up depending on the dangers we face."

"T-t-three what!?" The entire group chorused, evidently shocked by the mentioned amount.

Happy was already drooling at the prospect, "Imagine how many fishes we can buy…"

"I am worried." Erza commented, pulling them all out of their day-dreaming trance.

"What's there to worry about?" Gray inquired, a small frown on his face.

"Wouldn't it be faster if they chose a smaller ship?" Erza gestured toward the crews and cannons. "I heard there's 1300 sailors manning this ship, do we really need this much weapons and peoples just to get there?"

"Comes to think of it…" Lucy tapped her chin, her countenance thoughtful. "There's a lot of odd things that man said."

"We already beat Lullaby, we can take anything that show up!" Natsu declared, Happy nodding alongside in agreement.

"Aye!"

"Pinkie here's right." Gray promptly ignored the retort thrown at him, turning to Erza. "We're already on the ship, we can't just back out now."

Erza let out a deep breath, a smile on her face. "Yes, I suppose we'll see soon enough."

* * *

… _two days later_

" _Oi."_

" _Hmm?"_

" _Give me some sweets."_

Walsingham tapped his foot, absently spinning the globe by his side. _"You know I can't do that."_

" _Drop me somewhere with a mountain of sweet, come back and pick me up later."_

" _Can't do that either, we need you."_

" _Absolute rubbish, it's been two uneventful days, someone needs to rock this ship up and down now and then."_

Sighing, the mouse leaned back, peering into the socket of the unmoving skeleton that is known as Howard, donning the same outfit as the standing naval officers outside, albeit with yellow epaulettes and a black tricorn hat, resting on an armchair.

The cabin they were in was that of the captain's, spacious, packed full of maps and navigation instruments. The table he sits on was masterfully crafted with tropical woods, on it stacks of papers Walsingham'd sorted a moment ago, ledgers, a small model of the globe, with only half the world charted, an hourglass, and pens laying around. The sunlight drizzled through the curtains, it came to the point that he could see the speck of dusts drifting in the air, and the cobwebs on Howard's neck.

" _Get Heinrich to toss him into the sea, he needs a proper bath. That'll wake him up."_

" _I don't imagine he'll enjoy it_." Walsingham stood up. _"Right, behave, soon enough you will get to stuff your face with sugar. It won't be pretty if you get all excited from the sweets, he's not here to restrain your power."_

" _Yes, yes."_ He droned. _"Go on then, tell that owl to work harder."_

Walsingham strode out, shutting the door with a quiet _click_ , and not long after, it was swung open again.

Goodness, one would think he was inviting guests to come in, lock the bloody door!

The ones sneaking in were a pink-haired boy, wearing a sleeveless, black waistcoat, a white trouser reaching to the knees, and a scarf clearly of dragon origin, a dragon slayer then, interesting. Following him is a girl cladded in armour, her hair a clear scarlet colour, her stance guarded as she steps in. Behind her a black-haired mage, a blonde-haired one, and… an abomination of a cat. By the gods, what is _that_?

They closed the door behind them, taking in the sight of the room, and naturally, Howard's presence stands out the most. Save the pink-haired boy and the girl in armour, their faces were coloured with curiosity, the rest were rightly disturbed. After a chat amongst themselves, in which the cat also participated, he noted, they approach the table.

"Keep your hands to yourself." He warned them as their hands close in on Howard, in Ishgar's common tongue, switching to their language. Gazes full of wonderment were directed at him, as usual, the ones who first met him always had the same reaction. "What, never seen a speaking mouse before?"

"No, we haven't." The red-haired girl replied, voice tinted with amusement. "Especially not one with a monocle, moustache and a top hat."

"You've got a speaking cat, I'm sure you'll get used to it."

"I can fly as well!" said the cat, sprouting its wings and taking into the air.

He took one good look at it, and turned away, disinterested. "Disappointing."

Its enthusiasm was killed quickly and decisively, stuttering incoherent words.

"Hey!" shouted the pink-haired boy, clearly the closest one to the cat.

Well, it's true, he has met better cats than that, this one didn't even try to pounce on him at first sight, what sort of cat is that?

"You ought to introduce yourselves." He turned to the others.

"My name is Erza, and this is Natsu, Gray, Lucy and Happy." She gestured to each of them.

"Right, right, have you got some sweets? I can smell the macarons they serve down there for the officers." To ensure that the request is fulfilled, he followed up with an offer. "I'll answer any questions you may have."

The sweet meringue-based confections, stored in tiny plastic bags, were pulled out from their pockets the moment the offer reached their ears. That was easy, he'd expected some haggling, or worse, they might demand him to give them whatever they wanted from this dusty place first.

The texture and surface are smooth, a fine product, unlike the chunky ones. The crusts were thin, the texture underneath light, a little chewy, and soft, but not to the point of mushy. Perfect cookie and filling ratio, the filling itself smooth, firm, but light and not sticky at all.

"Brilliant." He offered a simple compliment as he moves to the second one, split into sizeable portions by Erza, how considerate.

"Why don't we start with you?" The black-haired one began, Gray, if he remembers correctly.

"Most refer to me as Aiken." He introduced himself. "Do not be deceived by my appearance, I am well over 90 years of age, and I know great many things… and that is all you need to know about me."

If it weren't for the absolute confidence that accompanied his words, he was sure that they would burst out laughing, or at the very least levelled some incredulous stares at him.

"We came here looking for more information regarding our mission, to get rid of the source of dark magic emanating from the Shrouded Island." Erza said, taking the seat in front of him, resting her chin against the back of her hands.

"Two powerful mages clashed against each other there, a long time ago. The sort of power that can cause a cataclysm, I'm surprised there weren't any tsunami pounding Caelum's western shores back then." He answered evenly. "I imagine they had ways to keep their power constrained to the proximity of the island."

"They made use of dark magic." said the girl.

He clicked his tongue, the way she said it like it was a big deal... "Can't be good for the environment, that ghastly mist must have been the by-product of great concentration of the residues, dark or otherwise. I imagine wildlife might be affected too, which, certainly makes the island a place one would considers dangerous."

"How do we stop it then?" The one with the scarf, Natsu, asked.

"One does not simply _stop_ energies. You either trap it behind something, a barrier perhaps, or gather it all up and shove it somewhere else."

"None of us can do those kinds of things." Gray bit his nails. "We don't have time to wait for the Magic Council to find someone who does."

"It will take months of travelling, not to mention how long it might take for them to negotiate with the Republic." Lucy noted.

Erza hushed the restless Natsu, turning to him. "Do you know anyone who might-"

"Why, I'm glad you asked." A calculating smile crept up to his face as he reached for another piece of macaron. "I know what the Magic Council sent you there for, why don't we make a deal?"

"I'm listening."

"One of those powerful mages is an important figure to the Austellus Republic." He pulled out a crystal the size of his hand, glowing a soft shade of amethyst. "He is still alive, somewhere on that island, this will lead you to him. Make your way through that accursed island and find him. He will handle the rest, in exchange, you will keep the Magic Council ignorant of this development. Leave him out of your report and keep quiet."

"You want us to let a dark mage walk free?"

She did not take his suggestion well, no, not at all. Just his luck to stumbled in one with a strong sense of justice.

"Calling him a dark mage is a little…"

Yes, certainly dark, dark for certain, very dark. Bleeding pigs, he can't come up with any good defence.

Is being a good, upstanding citizen so bloody difficult, old chap?

"For the greater good. How many around Ishgar have this remnant of dark power harmed? How many more will give their lives as this goes on, with its influence growing by the days?"

"He's right, Erza." Gray mumbled. "Another monster like the Demons of Zeref might step into the world, born from dark magic. We need to act quickly."

There's one like that sitting in front of them, and another perching on the main mast, but they don't need to know that.

Natsu found himself struggled to weigh the merits of both side, has opted for silence, he will trust Erza, whatever her decisions might be. Lucy and Happy found themselves in the same predicament, even more so when they lack the power of the other three.

"Tell me who he is, and I'll consider it." Erza narrowed her eyes, arm crossed.

He smiled, the type one would give to their clients after reaching a satisfying conclusion for a deal. "Lelouch vi Britannia, one of the founders of the Austellus Merchant Guild and its first Chairman."

Her eyes were on him a good while, but he knows, that she has already caved in to his proposal.

Now, back to sipping coconuts and bathing in the sun. Best of luck trudging through an island with its climate all jumbled up and what only the gods know live there. I'll be right behind your backs if you lot do mess up.

Maybe not right behind, a lot further away, but still.

"I agree." Erza resigned to the offer with a small sigh.

"Excellent~" He handed her the crystal promptly. "Anything else we all need to know?"

Lucy raised her hand up. "Walsingham said that with Sablier, an owl with snowy feathers, we will be able to get to the island quicker. I have been wondering…"

"Sablier possesses power over time." Much like its master, he noted inwardly. "He could create a pocket of time, where within, the flows of time can be sped up. We would have him coat the ship with it every night, where the ship's average speed will be nothing but a blur in the regular flows of time."

"There's a magical creature like that in the world? How common are they?"

"Yes, incredibly rare, one would have better luck finding phoenixes."

That was a lie.

If any creature naturally evolved into such a thing, it would be considered a freak of nature. No, Sablier is an artificial construct, made by a man who's too impatient to wait for his kettle to boil, and too slothful to use his magic to speed the bloody thing up.

"I want to know more about that guy, Walsingham." Natsu began. "He is going to join us when we get there isn't he?"

"Why don't you go and ask him yourself?"

"I couldn't find him."

"You lot have been looking for him for days now, haven't you?"

They collectively nodded.

"It's quite difficult, finding someone like that. Walsingham drifts between the planes of existence, the living and the dead, but he is never fully in one place. Few can sense his presence, and even fewer can see him. The moment a normal person could see him like any others is when he makes his move, blades or magics, and leave a mark in the physical world." He smiled. "Some calls him the Ghost of Endion."

"G-ghost!?" Lucy and Happy stuttered, almost in unison.

Natsu frowned, "Endion?"

"The provincial capital of Midi, previously the capital of the Kingdom of Midi." He pointed to the peninsula south of Minstrel on the map laid on the table. "It is now a part of the Republic, but before that, one of the most ancient and prestigious kingdoms in Ishgar. It is no coincidence that kingdom was the only one in the region not conquered by Minstrel, it was left to its own device out of respect for its culture and ancient traditions. In its last days, it was a kingdom drowned in poverty, strife and ruin. As its economy collapsed from corruptions, wasteful and lavish life of the nobles, whose taxes were exempted along with the clergy. The peasants struggled to carry such burden upon their backs."

Erza gestured for him to continue, and he complied.

"Story has it the youngest prince of the royal family invited all the lords in the realm to celebrate the birth of his son. He claimed that the feast would be the grandest in the continent, and indeed, it was the grandest." Chewing on a piece of macaron, he continues. The sunlight that lightened the room now far too insignificant, leaving them with the flickering flames from a lit lantern. "That night of the feast, the debaucheries of the nobility knows no bound, carousing without a care for the world. Soldiers would drag women from the street into their barracks and not a single person would bat an eye as fathers cried for their daughters. Unarmed peasants were being pitted against trained knights for entertainment, a terrible time…"

Natsu face was feral, his anger clearly felt as the temperature of the room rises. There were tiny cracks on the table from Erza's grip, Gray was more restrained, and simply settled for a narrow of his eyes, biting his lips.

"That night, the city gates were locked, if not by unbreakable mechanism then by some dark magic. A great fire sparked from the grain storage the nobles have hoarded, creeping its way through the city, nigh unquenchable, and somehow the peasants just happened upon a cache of weapons. The brewing tensions exploded." He finished up the last bit of macarons, his tail prickling at a spot on the map, unseen by the others. No, not just a cache, more. "And so, began the Nights of Blood, the city descended into madness, humans turned into rabid animals, all their sense of right and wrong discarded. Once given the power to kill, free of shackles of morality, not even the most ruthless predator can match a human. As the fire raged they spill each other's blood, peasants, priests, nobles, and soldiers, they all bleed the same colour, a river of blood flooded the sewers. A shadow would lead the vengeful masses to their target, pointing them to the right direction. From time to time it was seen amidst the corpse of the nobles, huddled together in their hiding places with their throats slit. The old Endion burnt for four days and four nights, few survived the chaos, ashes were what remained of the old, ancient and glorious city. Two days later, Austellan ships landed on Midi's shore, the rest is history, they joined us."

Lucy was so still in her spot, hugging Happy, that one wouldn't notice them at all if she didn't speak up.

"What about the royal family?" She asked quietly.

"The last of the survivors passed away a long time ago, a servant to the young prince, she wasn't in the right state of mind." He sighed contently, satisfied with the sweets, racking up his memories. "She claimed that the shadow was there, watching the prince's body hanging from the ceiling as the fire consumed the royal palace. His wife was already dead, she ended her life with poison, the infant cradled in her arms. The rest did not survive, save the four years old son of the young prince, who the maid brought with her into hiding."

"Walsingham was that shadow?" Gray deduced, his voice uncertain.

"How would I know?" He shrugged, "It might just be a romanticised myth, this is why no historians have gone into the details of Endion's fall. He's earned that title due to the nature of his… ethereal existence, and where he hailed from, but no one knows of his past, or if the shadow and Walsingham is one and the same."

Erza was absorbed in thought, leaning back in her chair. "And the child?"

"The _du Midi_ is a part of the Austellan patriciate, the name lives on through the young prince's line."

A sudden turn of the ship knocked them all out of balance, pulling them down to the floor. Outside the cabin was quite the commotion, with incoherent shouting and thundering sounds of lightning.

"And that concludes our conversation. Thank you kindly for the treats."

* * *

The Fairy Tail mages rushed outside, and in their sight is a complete opposite of what they last saw when they had snuck into the captain's cabin.

The sky was low and dark, a blanket of grey covering it, sunlight struggled to trickle through the thick clouds. The rain was pelting down, its drops quick and heavy, whipped into a frenzy by the howling winds. There was a certain rhythm to the downpour amidst the winds unleashing a torrent of their own. Thunder rumbled in the distance and a bolt of lighting cracked the sky into two, with jagged flashes of pure light casting a glow against the monochromatic background.

There are more peoples on the deck than they have seen during their time on the ship, whilst certainly wary and alerted, with the officers having to scream to have the orders heard, everyone seemed to know their roles and what they must do, there was never a moment of confusion or a single movement wasted. No, the panicking part were mostly done by them, the ones who never have to dealt with such things before, but even then, the atmosphere they found themselves in, amongst the crew, helped a great deal in calming themselves down.

Alas, the slam of the door behind them was anything but calming. The skeleton that strode out even less so.

" _Which idiot fed the fucking mouse!?"_


	6. Chapter 5

Gray Fullbuster wasn't one that can be easily unnerved. He was once just as reckless as Natsu, he has long since abandoned such attitude under Ur's tutelage. He has adopted a far more cautious outlook to life and handle arising problems carefully, as opposed to Natsu's preference to dive head first and be in the thick of it all.

This one, however, had done just that.

The head swivels around, surveying the scene with its coal black sockets, listening with a ghost of its ears. Its tricorn hat sits atop the skull yet did nothing to hide the clear mark of a sword slash, the line stretches from its forehead to its jaw, through the right socket. The bony hand poking out of the wide sleeve that held on the door made some barely audible clicking noises, its nails, not what can be considered long but with its skin completely stripped, it certainly has an unnatural length to it, dragging across the wood, adding a grating sound. The rain has long since washed away the dust, and he could imagine what is hidden behind that black frock coat, even with the layers of cloth he could tell how empty it is inside.

Thunder lit the black sky behind as the neck snapped to them. It quickened its stride, teeth gnashing as it moves toward them, shouting in a foreign language.

Erza already has her sword drawn, Gray was ready to defend himself, and so did Natsu. The skeleton however, simply walked past them, ignoring the frozen Lucy, one hand grasping the railing.

"Hold tight."

The front of the ship rises suddenly, threw them off their feet, sending them to the ground and rolling back to the captain's cabin. They hanged desperately on whatever they could cling on as the bowsprit kept on rising to the air. Their backs now firmly fixed onto the wall and door of the cabin.

"At this rate the ship will flip!" Gray cried out, his heart racing.

"Stay calm!" Erza shouted back, unfazed by it all.

Natsu has one hand on his mouth, wheezing in his spot, "I don't feel-"

The rise stopped and not a second later, the tip came soaring back down, sending them tumbling off yet again. He could feel his soul leaving his body along with the dive the ship just made. It took a good minute before the showering rain and booming lightning brought them back to reality, and they were at where they started, on the ground by the feet of the skeleton and the railing.

"Thank Nereus we were on the high sea. Closer to the shore and that wave would've smashed us to splinters." The skeleton muttered in a croaky voice, watching the passing wave through a small telescope intended for naval uses. A pair of rope slithered around Natsu's foot as it speaks. "Don't stain my ship!"

A wave of its hand, and the rope whipped out to the sea, with the Dragon Slayer hanging near the ship's hull, emptying out his lunch into the water.

"Who are you?" Erza asked, stabilising herself with the railing.

Another motion of his hand, and Howard had the pink-haired mage's head in the ocean, before pulling him back, with the mess wiped clean. "Howard Asquith, the captain of this vessel."

"Bastard! Are you trying to kill me!?" shouted Natsu, trying to untie the rope to no avail, hanging from the mizzen helplessly.

Gray could feel his lips curling up in amusement, Erza doesn't seem too terribly concerned about it, and that means neither should he, pinkie will be fine.

"I should be the one asking questions." Howard took a step toward Lucy, who just got up with the out-cold Happy in her arms. "Which one fed the mouse? No Austellan in their right mind would do so, and that leaves you lot."

She shied away fearfully, the way his neck craned with the sound of joints cracking, how the skull titled to an unnatural angle and lining the empty sockets with her eyes. The terrifying sight only heightened by the pouring rain and flashing lights behind him.

"We all did." Erza replied calmly, relieving Lucy of the attention she received.

"Macaron isn't it? How many?" Howard snapped back to Erza. "Four? Five? Six?"

"15."

The captain's mouth hung open, yet no words came out, with or without a face, they can tell the evident shock from him. He whipped around, striding to the stair leading down to the main deck where two naval officers rushed up to greet him. They show no sign of nervousness in front of the abnormal skeleton, clearly familiar with him and have grown accustomed to Howard's presence. None of the crew bat an eye at the sight, if anything, they seemed to be relieved, before moving back to their stations at the officers' behest.

Howard spoke quickly, if there was any sign of panic none could be found in his voice. Erza couldn't understand the conversation, but how the officers' countenances turn graver with each passing second were any indication, they have a large problem on their hands.

One hushed conversation after, the officers parted with a curt nod, one heading to the main deck and the other down under it. The rope clinging on Natsu loosened as Howard sauntered up the stair leading above the captain's cabin, toward the ship's wheel.

"What should we do?" Gray asked, turning to Erza.

"Find out what is going on first." She replied, striding toward the stair. "We can deal with the anomalies later."

"A talking mouse, a living skeleton, and a ghostlike person." Lucy followed close behind, her body shudders at the thought of Howard, droplets of rain prickling on her skin. "And I'd thought that nothing can get weirder than Happy."

The captain has taken on the position of helmsman, standing by the wheel, one hand steering the ship and a compass in the other. A closer look and anyone could see the marks his skeletal fingers left on the wheel, the number of scratches a testament to how long they have been with each other.

"Captain Howard, what's happening?" Erza questioned, stopping in front of the skeleton, with Natsu trailing up behind, a hand easing his stomach.

A good distance away, of course, it's still quite unsettling standing in the presence with such being.

Howard turned to the heaving sea, then to the black clouds sprawling across the sky, glancing at the water dripping off his hat, and back to the red-haired mage. "It seems that we're getting a little damp."

"You know what I'm talking about." She pressed on, eyes narrowing. "You asked about a mouse, Aiken, what does he have to do with anything?"

"That rodent in my cabin holds an immense quantity of ethernano inside him. He is hard-pressed to keep everything under control, and some inevitably leaks out, but not by any stretch significant." Howard turned the wheel, keeping one eye on the spinning compass. "He's fond of sweets, but a large intake of sugar would rouse him, weakening his control. The power came pouring out is precisely because of that, resulting in this storm."

Lucy's gulped, it's no wonder he got angry. "We didn't know-"

"Of course you didn't." The captain cut her off, sending a glance at the crow's nest, there's no use venting his anger on things that can't be helped. "It shouldn't have been possible for any of you to step into my cabin in the first place. Someone let you in."

Another streak of lightning split the sky, striking far too close to the ship for comfort, sending them skipping a beat of their hearts.

Howard reached for his hat, steeling it against the violent wind. "I'm far more concerned about a different matter."

Gray pointed to the shifting waves, keeping the railing in front of the wheel in a tight grip. "What is more pressing than _this_?"

"We didn't get two days of peace on this treacherous ocean because the divines felt nice, boy. That mouse is an intimidating presence to all the monsters lurking beneath, but with so much power seeping out, they won't sense a predator to be avoided with what's left behind, they would sense a prey to be devoured."

The sky lit up once again with thunder flashes as he finished the sentence. A great shadow loomed over the horizon, they could make out a massive horn, and two flickering shade of teal that made up the silhouette's eyes, lurking beneath a colossal rolling wave.

"Massive…" The black-haired mage uttered.

Lucy's eyes widened as the form grows larger by the seconds. "It's coming toward us!"

"That horn looks familiar…" Natsu squinted his eyes, scanning up and down the form.

Gray turned toward Erza, "Isn't that the one you brought back to the guild before we chased after Lullaby?"

"Yes…" The Titania confirmed. "It has the same horn of the monster I vanquished."

"Hoh?" Howard would've raised an eyebrow if he had one, "That is an impressive feat."

Erza gave a simple nod of gratitude in response. "This one seems... larger."

"The coastal breed is nowhere near as formidable as the ones on the high sea." Howard steered the wheel, turning the ship away from the beast as he speaks. "Only the strongest can survive in the unforgiving sea, competing and preying on each other for food. This will not be pleasant."

Lucy, for her part, was already sweating bullets, heart pounding like never before. She could only wonder how her teammates could behave so calmly in these sorts of situations. Natsu even seems excited, a grin on his face. Is it how professional mages were supposed to act, or were they just not right in their heads?

"Leave it to us! We'll beat it and send it back to where it belongs!" Natsu declared.

…and there it is.

Lucy sighed, then smiled, she couldn't help but feel uplifted, even in this grave situation. Hanging around them couldn't possibly be good for her health, but she would never ask for anyone else to be her teammates.

"Go back to your cabins, we will handl-"

"It's our fault that this happened in the first place, it will be a stain on Fairy Tail's reputation if we don't clean up the mess ourselves." said Erza, full of determination.

Howard levelled them a measured look, eyeing the mages present up and down.

Does it matter, he wonders, whether they live or die, win or lose? It doesn't matter, does it? The ghost and the mouse have many ploys, but none has ever contradicted the Republic's interest. Knowing them, this meeting was deliberately arranged, from the moment the ghost peeled off the seal locking the door to the gathering storm. The question is, what for?

He has a couple of ideas in mind, but in the end, the retrieval of Lelouch vi Britannia takes precedent over all else. He will play along, for now.

"There's one more thing-"

"That's the spirit!" A high-pitched voice cut him off, a majestic white owl swooped in, landing on the railing, with the well-dressed mouse hopping off its back.

Erza's gaze darkened at the sight, and the Fairy Tail mages all took a step back, consciously or not.

"You didn't tell us anything about this."

"About what?" queried Aiken innocently, wiping the water from his monocle with his sleeves.

"This storm, where you-"

"Ah, yes, yes…" The rodent stroked his whiskers, droplets of water dripping down, eyes growing glassy. "Pardon me, I'm getting quite old, my thoughts get all jumbled when I see the sweets dangling in front of my eyes."

There was nothing she can say to that sort of reply, but still-

Aiken smiled. "Nevertheless, I trust we have everything under control… well, save that ghastly thing over there, yes?"

"So it seems." Howard replied curtly.

Erza shook her head, turning back to her fellow guild members. "We need to prevent it from reaching the ship and ensure that no lives will be lost. Gray?"

"Yeah, my Ice-Make magic will be useful here, there's water everywhere." Gray glanced at the swirling ocean, with this, he won't have to pour out much magic to create ice and mould it. "I don't know if my ice will last long in a sea like this. The ice platforms will move around a lot, and stronger waves might just outright smash it, we need to move fast."

"I have something that might help." Aiken snapped his fingers, a bottle twice his size appeared in his hand in a blue flash.

Natsu bent down, eyeing the transparent green liquid. "What's this for?"

"This will smooth the flow of magic inside your body for a time, increasing usage efficiency and cut down on wastes." He said, tossing the bottle to the ice mage, "Drink. It'll help."

Gray sent a questioning gaze to Erza, to which he received an approving nod. And so, he chugged down his share, handing it to Natsu, then to Erza.

"Lucy?"

"I'm fine, you guys should share the rest, you need it more than I do." Lucy declined with a smile, if not a bit strained.

"What sort of mage are you, girl?" Howard questioned from the behind the wheel.

"I-I'm a Celestial Spirit Mage." stuttered Lucy.

"I'm sure you have some summon that can be of use." The captain said reassuringly, as though he fully understands the thoughts running through her mind. "We could use some muscles moving things around, there's no shortage of spirits like that."

The blond-haired mage pulled out the Golden Bull Key, and a tall, muscular humanoid with features reminiscent of a bull materialised from the smoke.

"Lucy! It's been so… long." Taurus trailed off as the rain splashed onto him. It didn't take long for him to realise the situation his summoner found herself in. Perverted as he is, when the time calls for it, he would act like a proper spirit and do his summoner's bidding with utmost seriousness, and this is one of those time. "How can I help?"

"Taurus, we need your strength down below, help the sailors out where you can." Lucy instructed, pointing to the deck.

A naval officer was scaling the stair as the summoning was taking place, stepping toward the spirit, giving Taurus a light tap, and gestured for him to follow.

"Go, Harvey will take over from here and direct you to where you are needed." Howard said, and Taurus' gaze lingered for a brief second on the captain before he left.

"Isn't that a gold key?" Aiken mumbled, his eyes on Taurus' back. "Lucy isn't it? Do you happen to be in possession of the one with power over water as well?"

"I-I do." The blond-haired mage replied, evidently surprised by the question, she didn't expect anyone to know about the keys save other Celestial Spirit mages. "Aquarius is really strong, but I don't think she will listen to me."

"I see…" The rodent gestured to the bottle, "Regardless, it would greatly aid you in maintaining your spirit in this world, you need it as much as the others."

Lucy appeared hesitant, but nevertheless complied with Aiken's proposal, taking a step toward the red-haired mage to receive the potion. Erza's encouraging smile did much to ease her nervousness, and she returned a smile of her own before finishing off the rest.

They chat amongst themselves, discussing their course of action and drawing up plans for half a minute as the beast close in. Before they could spur into action however, their body gave out, their consciousness robbed away as all four collapsed to the floor.

Aiken gave the owl a light pat. _"Right, Sablier, help us along, that thing is getting closer and I don't like that at all."_

Sablier hooted, spreading his wings and took off into the sky. Howard could feel the veil of magic pulsing through his form, all around them the motion of the pouring rain slowed down along with the waves, but the moment the droplets came close enough to the ship, the drops continue streaming down, as heavy as ever.

" _The bull?"_ Howard asked, tapping his foot impatiently.

A cloaked figure emerged from the stair, its steps silent. The steel in its gloves glinted with a spark before it whipped the dagger back into the attire. _"It has been sent back to where it belongs."_

" _We don't want them blabbering to the Magic Council about the young master. What changed?"_

" _My heart. It's a bit cruel, I think, sending them to one of Nereus' leviathans."_ Aiken said, a bored look on his face. That horn was just the tip of the great sea serpent, commonly mistaken for the tamer breed inhabiting near the coast, its real size must be at least four times larger than the Britannia. _"That aside, Aquarius will notice the serpent's presence and warn them of the danger soon enough. She's no stranger to the god of the sea and his monsters."_

Howard frowned, a finger stroking his chin. _"And? They won't know until it is far too late, they cannot flee from the serpent's jaw."_

" _No, a deal has been struck, we have secured their silence."_ Walsingham explained calmly, if the negotiation were to fail, that would've been the fate awaiting them. A heroic sacrifice to save the defenceless Austellan crew would serve as a great explanation to justify their disappearance, something one like Makarov Dreyar would accept. Thankfully, such measure is no longer necessary.

Howard pointed to the mages slumbering on the floor. _"It's settled then, haul them back to their cabins. The young master is waiting for us, we've wasted enough time as it is."_

" _Walsingham, be a good man, take them back, the task is far too gargantuan for one of my size."_ Aiken clapped once, the sound somehow made its way to them despite the battering rain and his tiny hands. _"Weather's already shite as it is, it can't possibly get worse, I'm off to the kitchen-"_

" _Leave them. Harvey will find someone else for the job, you go and find a dark cabinet, then lock this mouse up."_

Walsingham nodded, snatching the mouse off the railing before one could blink. _"Gladly."_

" _Traitorous fuc-"_

* * *

 _3 days later…_

Walsingham pulled the drawer open. The rose-pink light of dawn slipped through the curtains, just enough for him to make out the form of its occupant, bound and gagged, lying on a scarf made from silky fox fur.

Muffled curses and inaudible profanity exploded at him, and he simply stared, until it had enough and stopped, before plucking the piece of cloth out.

" _That man sleeps at night."_ Aiken whispered to the unmoving fox in utter disbelief. _"How do you live with yourself? This is animal cruelty."_

" _You brought this on yourself."_

" _It's a part of the bloody plan!"_

" _Two or three would've been more than enough to catch the serpent's attention. You chomped down_ _ **15**_ _."_

" _You can't blame a bloke for a tad of overindulgence. It's been months since the last time I had a bite of sugar."_ The mouse huffed, holding out his hands expectantly. _"It took decades, but I managed to learn how to manipulate the content of the storm. Sablier can still work his trick because I reined it in, we were never in any danger."_

Walsingham severed the bind with a cut so quick Aiken couldn't even make out the weapon in his hand before it was tucked back to the cloak.

" _They should be awake right now, it won't be long until they're done changing and knock on the door. Get dressed and expect an audience."_

Aiken opened his mouth, primed and ready to shoot out another witty remark, but he realised that he just couldn't be bothered and promptly stopped. Two meals a day is hardly enough, he just doesn't have enough strength to keep his usual antics up.

So, he turned around and discarded the pyjamas, rummaged through a tiny cabinet to the side and changed into a new set of suits as Walsingham strolled out of the room, fixing the hat on his head and picking up the monocle, an old gift he dearly treasures.

He hopped off the drawer and onto the table, Howard is nowhere to be seen, navigation instruments and documents were gone from the surface, the large map now hang on the wall by the table. He imagined Howard must've buggered off to one of the luxurious cabin below, the dusty sea dog hates it when his days-long sleep gets disrupted. The sea is a large place, aye, but after decades it gets stale. One of these days the captain might just wandered off into the depths for months again, it seldomly happen but it happened before.

In front the table sat four wooden chairs, and four sets of breakfast, comprised of back bacons, pork sausages, fried eggs, fried mushrooms and two slices of fried bread. There is a smaller portion of the fry-up for him on the miniature version of the piece of furniture, and six pieces of fresh salmon sashimi set aside for the cat. A bit too heavy for breakfast if he had anything to say about it, but after three days of sleep, and for his part, locked in a drawer?

This is sorely needed.

He sniffed, taking in the pleasant aroma, they better not mess up the yolk, it ought to be a bit runny. They should build a shrine to the fellow who brought mechanical refrigeration to Austellus, he could never imagine this kind of meal on a ship without that brilliance, using sulphur as refrigerants to replace the need of magic? Ingenious.

The door swung open without a single knock, and the Fairy Tail mages stormed in, not happy in the least. The Titania has a particularly dark expression on her face, but really, it's hardly intimidating, he'd spent a long time in worse company. A cat, a viper and an owl, all of them predators to his kind. He often wondered if Lelouch's choice of pets was deliberate all along, to always have one to keep an eye on him in case his power-

…

He should reconsider the decision to rescue that twat.

"That potion sent us to sleep." Erza growled, her shadow looming over him.

He gave them a confused look, before letting realisation dawned on him.

"Ah, yes." He pointed to the potion sitting on the far corner of the room, the content within consisting of blue liquid. "A mishap on my part, I seem to have mistaken that one for the other."

"You drugged us." She accused, eyes narrowing.

"A mistake." He said regretfully, curling up, making his form smaller under their gazes. "I didn't mean to do that... besides, we got out, didn't we? The ship is safe, no one died, cargo loss is minimal, nothing of value was lost."

"It doesn't mean that you can-"

"I even got all your breakfasts ready as an apology…" He took off his hat, holding it close to his chest. No matter from which angle one looks at, he is now nothing but a harmless tiny mouse. His ears lowered, eyes looking up helplessly, his body trembling now and then. "Y-you're not going to shout at poor old Aiken over a tiny mishap, are you?"

The performance garnered a look of pity from Lucy and Happy, understanding for Natsu's part, but Gray remains suspicious. It was when the other three turns to Erza that she wavered, a bead of sweat dripping down her temple.

"Everyone is safe, I suppose…"

His ears perked up whilst he beamed at them, and by the way the girl turned away from him, he dares say she even felt a bit guilty for lashing out.

He smiled, gesturing to the food. "You all must be hungry, well, let's not dally, enjoy yourselves."

And enjoy they did, judging by the pace they go through the food, chattering amongst themselves happily, his past offence quickly forgotten.

' _Food really is a wonderful weapon.'_ he thought to himself as he chewed on the piece of bacon.

He can't count all the times Austellan chefs have soothed over negotiations with other kingdoms with their expertise. Who'd have thought that cooking book Lelouch wrote would be so revolutionary and influential, especially when the norm in his world is a completely exotic cuisine in this one, really, the same could be said for the mountain of documents he left behind.

"The fish is so good!" said Happy… happily. The sentiment shared by the others toward the food offered to them.

"What are these black things?" Natsu frowned, poking at the grounded spice on the egg with his fork.

"Natsu, that's black pepper." Lucy answered, "It's fruit from a flowering vine, native to a series of small islands south of Enca."

"I've seen it once or twice in the capital's restaurants, it's a rare sight." Erza said.

"I'm not surprised if you haven't seen it… Natsu." Aiken said after a slight pause, hand reaching for the piece of bread, hopefully he got the name right. "The sheer distance pepper has to travel make the price for the northern countries absolutely exorbitant. It first head to Austellus via ships, then the southern countries, and from there the caravans must travel through Minstrel's great plains before hopping on another ship and sail to Fiore, which take months. It remains a luxury item, affordable only to the wealthy for most of Ishgar."

The blond-haired mage has a thoughtful look on her as she eyes the map by the table. "Couldn't the caravans cut through Joya to Stella, then head west? It's a shorter route."

"Look closely, Joya is surrounded by treacherous mountain ranges, it's incredibly dangerous attempting to cross it. That country might as well cut the continent in half, north and south, separated from each other."

"Why don't they just sail there?" Natsu took a bite out of the egg, the spice makes it tastes much better, he thought. It's a waste if everyone can't enjoy it!

"This ship's quite nice isn't it?"

The dragon slayer nodded slowly, not getting the point laid out.

"Have Fiore got something like this?"

"No…"

"No." Aiken smiled. "Save the Republic, everyone on the continent is rubbish at deep water navigation. We just couldn't be bothered to sail so far up north, the profit hadn't been worth the trip, and Minstrel was more than willing to compensate us to keep themselves the sole provider of southern goods to the northern countries. Now, however, with technological improvements in ship construction and naval navigations, the trip is no longer that much of a hassle. The potential earnings now exceeded what Minstrel could offer, and not just for spices, but for other goods as well."

"But there isn't a lot of Austellan ships docking in Hargeon." Lucy pointed out.

"If everyone just plays nice and follow proper free trade, laissez-faire policies we would be all over that tiny port." Aiken said scathingly. "You seem knowledgeable, have you heard of the name Heartfilia Konzern?"

The name has struck a chord with her, and he could see her body stiffened up. The reaction has gone largely unnoticed by her teammates. How odd…

"I do." She replied, forcing out a smile.

"Jude Heartfilia." He stopped, waiting for a reaction, and he received just that. The girl twitched in her seat and tried so very hard to sit straight. Hmm… "The head of that organisation, one of the wealthiest company in Fiore, is a staunch advocate of mercantilism. A policy, simply put, place tariffs on foreign goods imported aboard, to force us raise the price of merchandise to make a profit, and thus no longer competitive in the market. Even if the quality is superior, you wouldn't pay ten times the price for a piece of glassware, would you?"

"I wouldn't." Gray confirmed with a nod.

"The man knows full well that Fiore's companies cannot compete with Austellan's excellence. Clothing, furniture, armours, weapons, beverages, glasses, porcelain, silk, not to mention exotic goods that Fiore cannot produce like gems, coffee, tea, tobacco, sugar, spices… You name it, the quality of our products is unmatched. Once you have a taste of Austellan's craftsmanship, you will never spare another glance for anything else sitting on the same shelve. So, the bellend marched to the palace with the other merchant guilds and demand that the king enforces their mercantilist policies. Absolute fucking nonsense, the economy isn't a zero-sum game, protectionism fuckwit-"

Aiken kept on ranting, words streaming out without an end in sight, macroeconomic and microeconomic theories laced with curses came pouring out.

Natsu clutched his ears as the words far beyond his comprehension came pouring in, he could already feel a headache rising, Happy didn't fare much better. Gray's face were blank, he likely already filtered out all of it and is simply putting up an act.

"What is Austellus' response to the act?" Erza inquired, she doesn't know much about politics and economic policies, but conflicts and disputes often lead to violence.

"The High Council contemplated on blasting Fiore's ports to pieces and force a treaty."

Erza stood up from her seat, a dangerous gaze directed at Aiken. The rest react with varying degree of alarmed look, depending on how much they understand the situation at hand.

"I jest, I jest~" The tycoon chuckled, waving his hand dismissively. "It will be a diplomatic disaster with the other countries, no, they wouldn't do something like that, surely. The High Council await the return of Lelouch vi Britannia, they will hear what he has to say about this."

After all, they have worse ways to force Fiore to the negotiating table, far worse than a direct war. It won't do if they impoverished potential trade partners the mean to purchase their goods and harm the infrastructure they'll be using, extortions could never top mutually beneficial agreements in the long term.

A blaze of white soared through the open window, and in a flash snatched the rodent off the table. It left in the same quick, decisive manner that it arrived, and they could only blink in bewilderment with Aiken's scream echoing about the room from the distance.

* * *

Natsu opened the door and stepped out of the captain's cabin, moving toward the forecastle, with his friends following close behind. The ship has come to a halt, in front of them lies a sprawling blanket of purple mist, an oppressive miasma rising from the anomaly. The visibility is vanishingly small, he couldn't make out much, nothing but waves of the calm sea.

"It seems that we have arrived at our destination."

They turned toward the smooth voice, and the slender form of Walsingham is finally visible to them, ever since they boarded the ship five days ago, he was nowhere to be seen. Well, until he came to knock on their doors.

"What are we waiting for?" Natsu asked impatiently, "Why aren't we going in already?"

"Sablier and Aiken have gone ahead to scout the way." Walsingham answered, and of course, they would be more than sufficient to deal with any problem that may arise. "It's shouldn't take long, they'll be back any second now."

Just as the words left his mouth, the owl's form emerged from the mist, with the rodent on its back, clutching the hat to keep it from being swept away by the wind.

" _Well, go on in, the way's clear."_ Aiken hopped onto the railing, muttering disdainfully, _"I couldn't even finish my breakfast…"_

" _Any sight of the Sirène and Weißer Löwe?"_

" _They're the one who did my job for me, prepare accommodations for some four hundred."_

Walsingham nodded to an officer and received one in return. The man hurried along the deck to relay the order and signalled to the rest of the crew.

Sails were hoisted at the moment's notice, the anchor pulled up, and the ship soared on ahead into the mist. Silence descended on the vessel as apprehension began to rise, with the mist swirling around them. It was uneventful, yet taxing at the same time, and they did not see the light of the sun for a good ten minutes.

The lazy water inside the mist is a complete contrast with the high sea outside, coloured with a dazzling blue, light enough to be considered teal, and so clear they could see the floor underneath. The greenery surrounded the coast in their sight, keeping everything else hidden behind save for the two mountains stretching to the sky far inland, obscured by another veil of mist. The sight brought many things to one's mind, but danger isn't one of them.

The ship continued along the coast, toward a steep hill to the left, before turning right into a large bay, the entrance flanked by another hill, which would serve as the perfect spot for a ship to dock and shelter from the environment. However, the first cause for alarm lies in that bay.

There were splinters of wood, broken crates and the sort floating on the water, to the right side lay the wreckages of two ships, and the corpse of an unmoving crab of colossal proportion, twice the size of the broken ships and at the very least half of the Britannia's size, leaning against the cliff. The frontal body from one of the ship was pinned in between its great claws, most likely snapped in half by the monster, with the lower part sunk beneath the water near the coast, clearly seen from where they stand. There were holes that punctured in the carapace, one of its massive eyes was blasted off by explosions, leaving behind black marks and a gaping hole. The second ship is stuck in the sand, with its left hull shattered. A group of people could be seen moving near the corpse and the ships' remains, waving at them.

The air was one of jubilation and joy as the ship close in, happiness and relief were visible on the faces on the stranded sailors with the crew on the ship cheering on for their accomplishment.

"It was pure luck that they caught that monster in the bay, and not in that mist." Walsingham shook his head, "They should've waited for further directives from the High Council before they rushed in."

"Don't be cranky, I never would've thought the ones from Midi and Sin can stay afloat, this is a bloody miracle." Aiken said, dusting off his suit.

"Not a single mage was on board, the loss of lives could be minimised." retorted Walsingham.

"They defeated _that_ without magic!?" asked Lucy, shock crossing her feature.

"That's impossible!" exclaimed Happy and Natsu in astonishment, Gray has settled for a look of incredulity. Erza on the other hand, silently glanced at the cannon behind her with a pensive expression.

"We have a quest to complete, get ready." She said, clapping Natsu and Gray on their backs, and both winced at the impact. "We aren't here for a vacation."

"Well, I certainly am." The rodent remarked, strolling off, whistling to himself.

Walsingham let out a small sigh, turning to address the Fairy Tail's mages. "I will see you on the shore then. We will row in to the shore on smaller vessels, say the word and the men give you a ride."

* * *

"So, the Magic Council sent you lot to do their biddings?"

Erza turned away from the sparkling, clear water, toward the officer, standing by the head of the small boat with his men rowing the oars to propel it onwards. Natsu, Lucy and Happy were occupied with their hands hovering over the water's surface, playing about with smiles on their face. That leaves her and Gray to do the talking.

"We were chosen to put a stop to the emanating dark magic, yes."

"You all must be quite strong then." The officer smiled kindly, "It's comforting to know that there's powerful mages around in a dangerous place like this."

Gray glanced at the stranded men and the arriving sailors ahead. "They didn't have anyone like that with them, and they sailed in anyway."

"Sirène and Weißer Löwe were the closest ships to the island when news reached the Admiralty, orders were given to conduct a reconnaissance operation, they simply took it a step further." The man replied, "The Admiralty would have half the Western Fleet scuttled if necessary, they will ensure that we will succeed in our mission here. No one can fault them for acting on their own accord, they are doing it for the Republic."

Erza donned a stern expression. "To the point of recklessly risking lives?"

"I don't expect someone from the continent to know…" He mumbled, puffing smoke from his pipe.

"All life is precious, no matter where you are from." said Erza resolutely.

"Look at them." The man gestured toward the shore. "Do you see regret and despair?"

It wasn't difficult finding some who aren't sharing in the joyous mood, the ones standing near the graves by the sand were the most evident. As the vessel inches closer, she could make out faces of the sailors gathering around, the mounds are without tombstone, with only scribbles in the dirt to let the world know who they were. Sombre and solemn, yes, but there was no sign of despair or regret.

"We know that Austellus would never forsake us. We will be given food if we have nothing to eat, clothes if we have nothing to wear, a home if we have nowhere to live, medicines if we cannot afford them, and a school where we are afforded education without a single jewel. Anyone can rise from the bottom to the station befitting of their talents, with all given equal opportunities to prove themselves, we care not for noble blood nor populist sentiments. It is the duty of the state to take care of its people, and they have yet to fail us. We owed our nation our love, loyalty and our contributions. We are a part of our country, and the stronger it grows, the richer it gets, the better off Austellans will be." The officer snuffed out his pipe, "We all have a duty to fulfil, and Austellus expects that every man will do his part."

"Sir, if I may, you should reconsider your career path." suggested one of the men onboard.

"Aye, you'll be a better politician than you'll ever be a naval officer!" shouted another.

"Mr. Wright, Mr. Evans, neither of you get to complain about my leadership when you're this shite at your job." The officer replied good-naturedly. "Row faster you rascals! It'll be noon before we get to the bloody shore!"

Laughter burst out across the ship, and they couldn't help but smiled at the sight.

It was difficult for her to come up with a retort. Whilst Erza cannot entirely agree with the way of thought, she could understand it. She knows for certain that she is willing to give her life for her own guild if needs be, and it is not so much different for them and their country. The officer has given her much to ponder on.

The wood made contact with the sand a few minutes later, and the crew got off first, carrying supplies and food to the others.

Natsu hopped out, letting out a deep breath, he can't even begin to describe how much he appreciates the ground beneath him. The blue salt Walsingham gave him helped a great deal, but he would choose this over any ship any day.

"I missed you a lot solid land!" The dragon slayer fell flat to the sand, shouting all the while. "You're the best!"

"Natsu, get up. You're embarrassing Fairy Tail's name." Gray landed next to the pink-haired mage, giving him a light kick to the rib.

"You trying to start something jerk!?" Natsu shot up, butting heads with the ice mage. "If it wasn't for Erza-"

The Titania gripped their shoulder, exuding a demonic aura that froze them both where they stood. Without another word, Natsu and Gray quietly walked back to the ship and unload the supplies given to them in silence.

Lucy has a hand covering her small grin as she picked up her baggage. Erza was much stricter than usual during their time on the ship, after all, they are representing Fairy Tail, and to a degree, the Magic Council. Gray and Natsu were forced to behaved like sensible adults, lest Erza throw them off the ship herself. They'll go back to how they normally are the moment they're out of the Austellans' sight, without a doubt.

The officer was the last to leave, and parted with a nod, striding away to join the others by the shipwreck.

"There's something strange about the air…" Lucy muttered.

"Did you feel it as well?" Gray asked, turning to the blond-haired mage. "The magic in the air is… denser?"

Erza stroked her chin thoughtfully, there's a sensation tugging at her skin that she can't put into words. "Yes, the island seemed to be saturated with ethernano."

"What does that mean?" Natsu inquired with a tilt of his head.

A small ship made of ice materialised in Gray's hand, it appeared almost instantaneously, whereas a second or two is required normally. "We can afford to use more magic than usual; our body can absorb the magic in the air much faster and quickly regenerate our power."

Fire sparked in Natsu's hand, effortlessly and powerful. Even Lucy hardly feel any drain on her power summoning Plue.

As Erza cycled through her armours, and she could feel her power returning to her quicker than it normally would, but it felt… wrong. The foreign ethernano is dense and powerful, but it brought a sense of restlessness to her, disrupting her control over her own power, as though that was its way of saying that it doesn't belong to her.

She shook herself off her thoughts, "Don't get distracted, we need to find Walsingham."

Happy floated high on the air, swirling around to scan their surrounding before pointing to the monstrous crab. "There he is."

Walsingham was a couple of steps away from the corpse, chatting away with an officer with a tattered uniform, no doubt a part of the stranded sailors. Without further delay, they quickly make their way over to the crab. The closer they get, the more fearsome the beast appeared, its height easily surpasses Fairy Tail's headquarter. It's difficult to comprehend the sheer devastation that claw was capable of, and even harder to gauge the power needed to bring down the beast of this size.

"Erza, look." Gray approached the monster, one hand tracing the gap on the carapace. A hole has been punched in the beast, the rotting meats within have turned to mush.

Natsu took a step forward, knocking on the hard shell with his hand. "This is..."

"If this is the power of one cannon..." Erza frowned, the weapon requires no magic to fire, but its power is comparable to the one that does. "What can hundreds of them do?"

The question paints a frightening picture, just five warships half the Britannia's size could obliterate Hargeon's port and they would be helpless against it. They don't know about the range or how long it takes to reload, but given enough time, not just the port but the entire town could be wiped off the map.

"They can't do that!" Lucy was all but shouted. "Mages in Fiore won't stand by and let that happen."

"Ever since the Second Trade War, mages are forbidden from waging war against another, and that includes interfering with conflicts between nations, the law is made to lessen the possible casualties. Austellus' mages do not have to obey the laws of the Magic Council, but they have complied with this one." Erza muttered, biting her lips. "If Fiore's mages intervene, Austellus have every right to mobilise their own. The conflict will only escalate from there."

Natsu narrowed his eyes. "What should we do?"

"I don't know." Erza sighed, this is far beyond her and any of them.

"We can just destroy all of the cannons!"

Gray whipped toward Natsu. "Idiot! Do you want to start a war!?"

"Do you have a better idea? Huh!?"

"That's enough!" Erza shouted. "I will inform master about this when we return, now, we have a mission to complete."

Natsu and Gray broke off each other's grip and complied with the order, without a solution in mind. The circumstance however, weighs heavily on Lucy's mind.

They caught Walsingham's gaze soon enough, and he promptly wrapped up the conversation, strolling toward them.

"Aiken has brokered a deal with you." He stated, getting straight to the point. "I trust we are aware of our objective here?"

"Lelouch vi Britannia." Erza briefly mentioned, pulling out the amethyst crystal.

"Shall we begin then?"

"What about-"

"They will remain on the coast to salvage what they can from the wreck. Jot that down on your report to the council." Walsingham answered evenly.

Erza spared him a brief glance, and with that settled, she strode on ahead. The crystal seemed to give out a soft glimmer if she was heading the right way and goes mute if she wasn't. It's rather simple and straightforward.

And so, they began making their way through the jungle, north toward the mountains. Erza was at the front, leading the way with the crystal on her hand, Natsu and Happy followed right behind, with Lucy at their backs and Gray at the rear. They cut their way through the dense, suffocating undergrowth, fighting through the air, which hung heavy, moist and still. Trees tall as cathedrals surrounded them, and a green light shimmered through the leaves.

"So hot…" Gray mumbled miserably, sweat streaming down his face, his shirt already off long ago.

Natsu fared much better, but even someone like him could feel the humid heat. Happy was sprawling on the pack behind Natsu's back, with his stamina completely drained half an hour ago.

"Don't melt ice cube." snickered Natsu. "You can take-"

"Shut up."

Lucy swiped a sweat of her brow, eyes moving to the front, where Erza continue moving on in her armour without any sign of slowing down, crystal glowing in hand.

"Erza, don't you feel hot?"

The red-haired mage turned back with a puzzled look. "No, isn't it a bit cold?"

They all looked at her as thought she had lost her sanity, the heat can do that to people, but there isn't a single drop of sweat on her face.

"Have you gone mad?" Gray asked incredulously, letting the question slip off with his fear for Erza temporarily forgotten.

Happy flew toward her, wobbling here and there in his flight, paws reaching for her forehead. "Are you okay?"

Before Erza could reply, the cat's eyes widened at the sensation he felt from his tail. Without another word, he shot himself at the crystal in her hand.

"So cooool." Happy drawled joyfully.

Gray pushed past Natsu, completely ignored the protest from the dragon slayer, and indeed, he could feel the refreshing air radiating from the crystal, enveloping a small area around Erza. It didn't take long for them to form a crowd around her, squeezed in the middle of them all.

"I can't move." said Erza.

"You don't need to." They chorused.

Erza let out a sigh, shaking her head. "Walsingham?"

The man in question was nowhere to be seen, gone from their sights yet again. If she didn't mention his name at all they could've gone ahead without noticing anything missing.

"I haven't seen him since we left the shore." Lucy said, turning around to look for the figure. "He really is a ghost."

On cue, the black cloak emerged from the greenery in front of them, shuffling out with a pat on his shoulder to move the leaves out of the way.

"There's a river up ahead, we can make a stop there." He said, pointing to the way behind him.

The moment the word _river_ left his mouth, Natsu, Gray and Happy shot right past without further ado, a cloud of dust in their wake.

A small smile graced Lucy's face, that just leaves more room for her.

"It's been hours, we could use some rest I suppose." Erza said, it seems that the way to the river aligned with their destination. "Where have you been?"

"Scouting out the area, I have also secured a mean to travel along the river." Walsingham answered. "This island is… odd."

Lucy glanced at the hooded man and found herself wondering if he was mad or simply have a way of his own to deal with the heat. "The magic?"

"No, there isn't a single living insect and bug around. The animals that feast on them instead absorb magic and plants to nourish themselves."

"Living beings cannot survive in areas with extremely concentrated ethernano." Erza mused, "This island has a dense layer of magic, but not extreme enough to wipe out more than small lifeform, if I were to guess."

"It poses a problem." Walsingham muttered as they pushed through the dense vegetation to the riverbank. They could see Happy drifted about the surface whilst Natsu and Gray submerged their body under the slow-moving river, their belongings chucked on the rowing boat docking a few centimetres away.

"You got your clothes wet." said Lucy disapprovingly, reaching forward to set her baggage onto the boat. At this rate they'll get hers wet too when they get out of the water.

"Natsu can dry it for us in minutes." Gray remarked, referring to the convenient source of flame. Lucy however, appears unconvinced with the claim.

A mischievous grin crept onto Natsu's face, and the dragon slayer edged toward Lucy silently whilst she remains occupied with the task. Undetected, he wrapped his fingers around her ankle and pulled, dragging the blonde down to the water. The sound she made as she plunged into the river won't be forgotten by any of them anytime soon.

She was fuming by the time she surfaced, but what annoyance she may felt quickly melted away amidst the laughter.

"Where did you find the boat?" Erza asked, a smile on her face as she watches the irritated Lucy chase after Natsu.

"I can be very resourceful." Came a curt reply, sensing the unwillingness to elaborate the matter further, Erza leaves it at that.

She placed her own supplies onto the boat, jumped onto the vessel, holding the crystal in the air. It glinted as she lines it with the two mountains in the distance, where the river seemed to curve toward, with the current flowing to the northeast. This would greatly shorten the distance they need to travel if the current could lead them toward their destination.

"I spoke with one of the officers from the Sirène regarding the potential threats on this island that the crew may have stumbled on." Walsingham began.

"This is the problem you speak of." Erza deduced. "What is it?"

"For this part of the island, tigers and pythons. I would advise extreme caution, as the predators on this island can be considered magical creatures, if not by natural adaptation then by feasting on their preys."

She could only offer a blank stare in response, tiger she has heard of, but certainly not pythons.

"You mentioned 'this part' of the island."

"The other half of the island, starting from that mountain over there, is a barren tundra." He said, glancing at the sprawling mist surrounding the peaks. "I have no doubt that is where the battle occurred, none of the sailors dared to venture further in. Most of the residue of dark magic gathers there. We don't have to concern ourselves with it, Howard should be on the other side right now."

Erza narrowed her eyes, "What is he doing over there?"

Walsingham leaned back onto a tree, arm crossed. "Our goals are aligned, Miss Scarlet. You needn't hold such suspicion toward us, we desire the return of Lelouch vi Britannia, and you need him to put an end to the dark magic. We are not your enemy."

A veil of silence descended upon them as they gauged each other, a match which she is at a clear disadvantage, what with the mist surrounding his hood.

"As for the answer to your question." Walsingham said, breaking the tense mood. "We need to survey the site of battle and recover… relics, if you will, that belonged to the first chairman. It is imperative to your effort in stopping the spread of dark magic as well. We should – no, we _must_ deliver the relics into his hands."

It is vital, indeed, because if they were to lose those two favourite toys of his, only the gods know how he will take the news.

Powerful individuals often have the most trivial of reasons to act the way they do.

"It must be dangerous." Erza said in an alarming tone. "We should be the one on the other side."

"The two individuals sent by the High Council are highly capable. I can speak with confidence that they will reach him first, along with the relics, if we dally and travel at this pace."

He would've arrived by now if he were on his own. Alas, politics with the Magic Council dictate that the Fairy Tail mages must have enough materials on their hand to write a believable report, and at the same time leaving out the main component that drives it all. He cannot forge the documents himself, since Makarov Dreyar would hear of the report, and given how well he knows his guild, could notice something amiss.

"Erza!" Natsu called out from the distance, waving at her from behind the leaves by their left. "We found some eggs over here!"

"We will continue shortly." Erza said, setting her feet back onto the solid ground. "I need to make sure they don't get in any trouble."

"By all means."

* * *

 **AN: This chapter should've been around 4000 words longer, but I decided to just bunch up everything together the next chapter and wrap up the arc there.**

 **Now, dear readers, I could use some help to figure out the denonyms for the countries in Ishgar. Bugger me it's hard coming up suitable ones with the name Mashima-sensei gave them.**

 **Bosco? Boscian, that's fine. Seven? Sevenan, pronounced like se-ve-nan, that sounds alright, not bad. Fiore? Uh...**


End file.
